"Peace on earth, good will toward men" is the last thing on Hans and Otto's minds, at Christmastime or at any other time.  The two battling brothers fight so much that their mother has to separate them with a line drawn down the middle of the house!  But nothing, least of all a line, can keep Hans and Otto from opening the mysterious gift box that appears at their home one day.  And nothing can keep them from ripping apart the coat they find inside the box, so bratty are they.  But Hans and Otto soon learn that the coat was for a sick young neighbor boy.  They have exactly nine cents and three days to repair it, which they must do in utter secrecy.  Can they do it? A major miracle may be needed...

Clyde Robert Bulla, with his unerring talent for getting right to the heart of human relations, has given us a story that is clever, funny, and true.  Sylvie Wickstrom's energetic illustrations capture its sly humor perfectly.  The Christmas Coat is sure to bring the spirit of Christmas to all young readers.

From the dust jacket