The Gift of the Magi

Henry, O. The Gift of the Magi. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1982.

This classic O. Henry Christmas tale illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger is one of my favorite stories. I read it to my fifth graders each year and talk with them about self-less giving. In this story, Della loves her husband very much but has nothing to give him for Christmas and no money to purchase anything. So, she decides to sell her most precious possession. Jim loves Della very much but has little money to purchase a Christmas gift for her. He too, decides to sell his most precious possession. This story is not only a good Christmas story, it is a great one for teaching foreshadowing and irony. Zwerger’s illustrations are appropriate to the time period of the story and won her a place on The New York Times Best Illustrated list.

The Gift of the Magi (Aladdin Picture Books) is available from Amazon.

What is your favorite Christmas tale?