The Gift of the Christmas Spider: A Ukrainian Tale
Written by Trinka Hakes Noble
Illustrated by Stephen Costanza
Published by Sleeping Bear Press
Based on an old Ukrainian story, acclaimed writer Trinka Hakes Noble crafts a heartwarming tale of kindness that embodies the spirit of Christmas and celebrates the resilience of the heart.
Long ago in the land of old Ukraine there lived two mothers. One, a humble peasant woman who struggled to provide for her children. And the other, a mother spider who also worked hard to care for her family. One bitterly cold, bleak Christmas their two lives come together in a chance encounter. When the peasant woman goes to the forest to get a small tree on Christmas Eve, she doesn’t notice that someone has made a home among its branches. During the night the mother spider repays the gift of shelter in an extraordinary way.
Primary ISBN: 9781668972298
Publication Date: August 2026
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 04 or older
Community Represented: Animals/Allegory, Ukrainian/Ukrainian American
Themes: Animals, Celebrations, Celebrations: Christmas, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Celebrations & Traditions, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Family, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Food, Family Relationship: Parents, Genre: Fantasy & Folklore, Neighbors & Neighborhoods, Religious Background: Christian, Setting: Home Country
Setting: Ukraine
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Home Country
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