The Scallop Christmas

Author Jane Freeberg (1933-2019) grew up in Queens, N.Y., and graduated from Adelphi College with a degree in English. Eventually she moved to Georgetown Island in Midcoast Maine where she resided for a large part of her life. She always had a love for stories, founding book clubs and serving on her library board. She also enjoyed telling stories of families living in her Queens neighborhood. She wrote her first book, The Scallop Christmas, at the age of 76 and said she regretted not getting into the business earlier. The book was based on a true story told to her by her friend Marcia, who lived most of the story. "It rattled around in my brain for 35 years, and when it came to mind, I'd think, 'That's a great story. I ought to write it down,' " she said. "I'm so glad I did." 

"This nostalgic tale of a very special gift—not the special Christmas present itself but the love it symbolizes—is the first children's book by Jane Freeberg. Set in a Maine coastal village, the story of a family working together during the Depression provides a glimpse into the past with its description of scallop harvesting, as well as a good lesson about what really matters. Astrid Sheckel's watercolors create a strong sense of time and place."

—Elizabeth Kennedy, About.com Children's Books, Best Children's Books of 2009

"Once in a great while something different comes along that is truly absorbing and moving and tells this tale of the Christmas spirit in words and illustrations in a way that is both very familiar and very new. Such a book is The Scallop Christmas, by Jane Freeberg and Astrid Sheckels ... young readers will not only get a deep enjoyment from the happy ending of the tale, in the process they will have learned something about scallops, courage under pressure and the rewards of patience."

– Nan Lincoln, The Bar Harbor (ME) Times

"Sheckels adds color, vitality, a crispness and life to all 32 pages of her new book ..." – The Greenfield (MA) Recorder

Astrid Sheckels cannot remember a time when she was not telling or illustrating stories, especially ones involving imaginary animals. A native of western Massachusetts and growing up in an artistic family, Astrid spent her childhood playing outside, using her imagination, and drawing. Her Scandinavian roots are evident in her artwork, which she describes as a “mix of classic realism and whimsy.” She studied Fine Art at Greenfield Community College and works as a full-time artist. She is a member of the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild and The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
 
Astrid is the author/illustrator of “Hector Fox and the Giant Quest”, the first book in the whimsical Hector Fox series. Her debut as an author/illustrator is the award-winning "Nic and Nellie" (2013). As an illustrator, her other award-winning Islandport Press titles are "The Scallop Christmas" (Freeburg, 2009) and "The Fish House Door" (Baldwin, 2010).