The first time I heard the story of The Littlest Angel, I was mesmerized by this wonderous story of a very small angel who
never quite seems to fit into his new situation in Heaven. His halo is always tarnished and slipping down over one eye or the other. He is never able to master the art of flying, and tears continually stream down his cheeks. He often gets into mischief, no matter how hard he tries not to.
Eventually it is discovered by an Understanding Angel that, although Paradise is a very beautiful place, the Littlest Angel is homesick. His only desire is to have a crude little wooden box of earthly treasures that were left under his bed before his departure. His box is retrieved for him, and his conduct in Heaven becomes very much improved.
Then Jesus, the Son of God, is born to earthly parents, and all of the residents of Heaven prepare gifts to give to the Holy Child. The Littlest Angel gives Him all that he has, his precious box of earthly treasures, and is immediately ashamed. However, his lowly gift is accepted by God as the most pleasing of all, and is elevated to the heavens to become the shining star of Bethlehem.
This beloved and timeless tale, which is one of the ten best-selling
children’s stories of all time, was written by Charles Tazewell within a period of just three days. First published in 1946, it was in its 38th printing by the year of the author’s death in 1972. Of the many
editions that have been published, none compares to that the award-winning artist, Paul Micich (Ideals, 1991). His superb canvas paintings beautifully depict this tender story without over-sentimentality.
The language in the story is rich and eloquent, but rather difficult for children to read by themselves. However, when read aloud, the unabridged story can be enjoyed by even the youngest listeners. In my opinion, when children ask about unfamiliar words, the experience becomes much more beneficial for them than the current trend of exposing them to dumbed-down children’s editions of this and other classic stories.
Presently, over 7 million copies of The Littlest Angel have been sold, and Time Magazine has declared it an International Classic.