Not Every Christmas Happens in the Snow

In the children's book, Not Every Christmas Happens in the Snow, Little Jose is jealous of the children he sees on TV bundled up to go sledding and opening presents with a white blanket of snow in the background. His family helps him realize the beauty and magic of a Christmas spent under palm trees and clear blue skies. Jose embraces his surroundings unique traditions and joys and discovers that Christmas can be filled with love, no matter the weather. Not Every Christmas Happens in the Snow is a warm-hearted story that teaches children the importance of embracing their surroundings, no matter the weather.

Dr. Jaclyn A. Sandman-Vazquez grew up on Long Island and moved to central Florida in her early twenties, where she became a middle school teacher. When one of her students asked her what mittens were and expressed that Christmas isn't the same in tropical weather, the idea for this book was always in the back of her mind. The idea became tenfold when Sandman-Vazquez and her husband, Jose, who is from Puerto Rico, welcomed their daughter in 2019. Sandman-Vazquez didn't ever want her daughter, Jessalyn, to feel like she was missing anything growing up in a beautiful, warm climate. She hopes you enjoy reading this book to your family, which has small touches of Caribbean life for any boy or girl who may feel like they're missing something.