Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins

What a beautiful book! I gave this to my 4-year-old son for Christmas, and we are enjoying it well beyond Christmas (as it really has nothing to do with Christmas). I think we'll be reading it for many years to come, as it's a "living book" that is appropriate for just about any age. It's told like a story, not a presentation of facts, and the pictures are done in an iconographic style. The main part of the book tells the most famous story about Saint Nicholas and how he secretly tossed gold coins from his inheritance into his neighbors' house so the girls would have a dowry and could get married. There is also an emphasis on Nicholas' relationship with his uncle, who inspired him to follow in his footsteps and be a bishop instead of a sailor, as he dreamed of being as a young boy. The last few pages of the book have additional details about Nicholas and some ancient icons depicting different events in Nicholas' life.Although this book is produced and published by Eastern Orthodox Christians, other Christians should have no problem using this book. I am a Lutheran, and I saw only one allusion to Nicholas as a protector of sailors, and that's in the back, not as a main part of the story. I don't have a problem making my son aware of what other Christians believe--and anyway, that's not any more fantastic than teaching him that Saint Nicholas is a fat old man who lives at the North Pole and rides to every child's house on Christmas Eve in a gift-laden sleigh pulled by reindeer! But even if you do the Santa Claus thing, this book won't ruin Santa for your kids. It's just a child-friendly book about Saint Nicholas.

This is a great book to read to children on December 6th, the Feast of St. Nicholas. The illustrations are beautiful and the story reveals the true St. Nicholas. The ending includes a short (but more detailed biography) including a small collection of artwork, revealing how Christians have venerated St. Nicholas over the centuries.

This book is one of my new favorite picture books. It is beautifully told. I love a story that doesn’t just tell you to be good but shows the beauty and goodness of goodness itself. What a wonderful addition to our library. I read it to my kids (5 through 11) and they all enjoyed it. Thank you for this book! I will be recommending it to all of my friends.

Love the stories. Love the art. Pays great tribute to the man St Nicholas. The font of the copy is a little hard to read; it is a strange choice for readability.

We broke it to our 8yr old this year and we needed some material to back us up. I did ALOT of research and settled on this book. Glad I did. It's an easy to understand story of Saint Nicholas and gives the brief history but at the end it has even more information. I highly recommend.

A great story. Illustrations are a delight for my grand daughter. We read the story a number of times. A good learning tool.

My kids received this book from St Nick and they love it! Nice story and beautiful illustrations!

My nephew loved it! St. Nicholas is his Patron. Beautiful book, well worth the price.