Description
Snow had been falling since teatime when Mamie arrived with a parcel under her arm and her cheeks pink from the cold. She waited until the baby was bathed and swaddled, then sat by the cradle and unwrapped it: a little storybook, closed tight, with a striped candy cane lying across its cover. “One page for every Christmas,” she whispered, though the baby was far more interested in her necklace. Grand-papa, peering over her shoulder, declared it the finest present in the house.
That small book now lives on the nursery shelf, between a knitted rabbit and a silver rattle, its red-and-white candy cane bright against the painted cover. Each December it comes down for a moment of ceremony, and each year the child listens a little longer. Inside, there is room for a first curl of hair, a tiny tooth or a note from the grandparents. Years from now it will hold a whole family history in a space no bigger than a teacup.
Inside and out
- Shaped as a closed storybook marking a baby’s first Christmas
- A red-and-white candy cane rests across the cover
- Opens on a hinged lid to a small keepsake space
- Limoges porcelain from France, painted entirely by hand
A tender present for new parents, meant to be brought out again every December for years to come. One day it may even be passed on to the baby’s own child.
