Christmas at Grandma's Review

There are people who tell stories and then there are storytellers. A good storyteller can take a short clip of time and produce the most delightfully entertaining account that leaves the listener perched and waiting for the next words. Donald Davis is an excellent storyteller and his account of Christmas at Grandma's is a delightful audio cassette to which I have listened over and over.

Side One:

• Christmas in Sulpher Springs is a short introduction in which Mr. Davis admits that he preferred to listen to older people in the family tell stories than to play. I can readily see that, and I would be willing to bet that some of those storytellers in his family probably birthed some of his great storytelling abilities. (Time 3:49)
• The Children's Christmas Play tells of how Mr. Davis and his brother participated in the church's Christmas play. I laughed as I imagined a woman picking Mary and Joseph amidst a huge collection of children from crawling babies to grown adults that were still living at home. Despite angels hollering for their mothers and shepherds who got away with more than they were ever allowed to do during practice, this story kept me engaged throughout. Mr. Davis was one of the wise men, and it was interesting to find out which gift he would bring to the baby flashlight and what would result in a hullabaloo at the end. (Time 17:44)

Side Two:

• The Year My Brother Almost Died tells of how two brothers who wanted linkin' logs ended up with cigars made from Havana to add to their collection. We have a whole family of people with asthma, and I would never condone smoking for anyone, but it was a bit rather comical to hear an account of how Mr. Davis taught his little brother how to smoke a cigar while safely nestled in their spot for learning things. The after-effects of this new skill are a tiny bit graphic, but it was done in such a way as to make people laugh. Anyone familiar with a switching just might laugh out loud at the recounting of the resulting punishment and whether or not the little brother actually survived the ordeal. (Time 13:08)
• The Red Scooters handles the question of ugly rumors about Santa Claus quite well. I can just see Mr. Davis as a young boy deciding to tell every Santa about what he and his little brother wanted for Christmas and why he ended up talking for his little brother because of a little mishap the year before. What he found in the trunk of his family's car resulted in silence from everyone. How would the parents ever explain this? (Time 8:42)

My Viewpoint:

I love a good story. I grew up in a family of storytellers, from a Papaw who loved to weave wild tales about why he was missing half of his pinky finger to a mother who has been known to tell stories about everything from being a witch to growing up in the Appalachians. Donald Davis's audiocassette called Christmas at Grandma's has been quite enjoyable for me. I travel in my car a lot, and yes, I still have a tape deck. The ride can be much more enjoyable while laughing. I have checked this tape out at our library whenever I need a release from the stresses of trying to raise three small children.

If you have young kids, you may want to listen to the tape first. The Red Scooters might give a little too much away for some astute kids, and the box lists recommended ages of seven to adult.

I've also enjoyed another tape called Homespun Tales: A Country-Flavored Collection that has another of Donald Davis's stories in it.