‘The Christmas Calf’: Local farmer and filmmaker publishes children’s storybook
November 26, 2024 | By Laura Hardie | Correspondent 
Farmer and filmmaker George Woodard adds author and illustrator to his resume with 'The Christmas Calf.' Photo by Laura Hardie
At some point, we’ve all suspended our doubts and let magic just be magic.
Whether it’s believing in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or, in the case of George Woodard’s new children’s book – cows that play instruments and sing Christmas carols – there’s something to be gained in believing in the impossible.
As Woodard reflected on his motivations for writing “The Christmas Calf,” the 72-year-old known best for his filmmaking says that, unlike most children’s authors, he didn’t set out to share a life lesson.
Cover of 'The Christmas Calf' by George Woodard
“I’d rather give a kid the adventure…the adventure is more fun,” Woodard shared from his family’s iconic hilltop 25-cow farm in Waterbury Center, where he has directed, shot and edited two farm-related critically acclaimed feature films, “The Summer of Walter Hacks” and “The Farm Boy.”
The book is set on a small dairy farm on Christmas Eve. It begins with a moment that sets the stage for the sense of wonder that runs throughout the book. A 9-year-old boy asks his father about the nativity story – the part where the shepherds came to Jerusalem “with haste.” The son asks,
“Was Haste the family donkey?”
The father smiled at the young boy’s innocence and replied, “I think so.”
Woodard debated removing this part after getting a question about whether it was true. He says of the father’s response, “He’s not really lying to him, he’s allowing him to have an imagination, and I thought, I’m going to leave it because it’s good to allow your kids to have an imagination. If kids don't have an imagination, they don't grow up to have to have the imagination to come up with great inventions and things.”
A tale decades in the making
Woodard's sketches inspired by his home and farm illustrate the book. Photo by Laura Hardie
The black-and-white book about a boy who goes out to check on a calf on Christmas Eve is entirely from Woodard’s imagination – written and illustrated over 12 years. The idea came from a story he told his son Henry two decades ago as they finished their first cut of hay and were sitting on a knoll looking out over the farm.
“I started writing it down in 2012 because I thought, you know, that actually was a pretty good story…but I didn't know how to word the ending so that it would have the right kind of something – like heartwarming,” Woodard said.
So it sat up on a shelf until December 2023 when he came up with the heartwarming answer to the question that the boy seeks to answer throughout the book, “Why is there music coming from the barn?”
Often waking up at 4 a.m. with a burst of creative inspiration to draw – in pencil to start and then with micron pens – before heading out for morning chores, Woodard says his self-taught skills of storyboarding films and working with black-and-white video gave him a leg up in knowing how to draw, but he wasn’t always certain.
“I wasn't sure if I could do it or not because I've drawn little pictures…but I didn't know if I could actually draw,” Woodard honestly recalled.
Photo by Laura Hardie
It turns out Woodard is an exceptional artist. His drawings evoke the time period he loves best – the 1940s and 50s – in which his films are set.
“The barn is small. The truck that they’re driving home in is a ’53. It doesn’t say what time period it is, but I didn’t have them driving home in a Prius,” Woodard chuckled and then recalled a story of a recent idea he told a friend about for a film. “I said, ‘It takes place in 1950,’ and he said, ‘Doesn't everything?’”
A warm reception at bookstores
Woodard's book hit local shelves in October, including at Bridgeside Books in Waterbury where the response has been heartening. Store owner Katya d'Angelo expressed awe over his talent.
“I mean really, does his creativity know no bounds? It’s amazing, and it’s really not just for kids – it’s for adults too. I think it’s a new Christmas classic that people will want to sit down and read with the family every year.”
Woodard self-published “The Christmas Calf” under his own imprint, Old Cuss Press – a name inspired by his maple syrup bottling operation from the early ’90s. “I came up with ‘Old Cuss’ back then. On the label it says, ‘Just about the ByJeezum best dang maple syrup you can git,’” Woodard said in a Vermont accent over-emphasized for effect. When book designer Carrie Cook asked what to call the press, the name stuck.
Paying for the print run of 1,500 copies out of his own pocket, Woodard jokes about his ambition, “I said, ‘Gee, how do you get on the New York Times bestseller list? Okay, that’s not going to happen. So, what about a Pulitzer?’ That’s not going to happen either.”
For Woodard, creating art isn’t a means to an end – it’s just something that flows out of him. “Now that I know I can draw a bunch of pictures, I’ve got a couple of ideas for more books,” he said.
He’s also balancing this creative chapter with his filmmaking. This winter, he plans to write a screenplay about Prohibition along the Canadian border, which he aims to shoot next summer. “It’ll be another adventure-ey thing,” he said.
Woodard credits his creative spark to moments of quiet on the farm. “When you’re milking cows, you have to pay attention, but your mind can wander out there to other things,” he explained.
His first feature film, “The Summer of Walter Hacks,” was sketched out on paper towels meant for cleaning udders. “I had stacks of them,” he said, grinning.
Whether it’s movies, milk, maple syrup, or now children’s books, Woodard’s life is a testament to the satisfaction that comes from creating something even if you aren’t sure of how it will end, and all along believing in what might seem impossible.
Upcoming events for “The Christmas Calf”
The Woodard farm sits on Loomis Hill in Waterbury Center. Photo by Laura Hardie
Copies of “The Christmas Calf” are available for $25 at local bookstores with book readings scheduled at many locations.
Fri., Nov. 29, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Bear Pond Books, Montpelier
Fri., Dec. 6, 5-7 p.m.: Bridgeside Books, Waterbury
Sat., Dec. 7, 1-3 p.m.: Bear Pond Books, Stowe
Thurs., Dec. 12, 4-6 p.m.: Aldrich Public Library, Barre (books available for purchase for cash or check only)
Sat., Dec. 14, 12- 2 p.m.: Shrewsbury Library, Cuttingsville (books available for purchase for cash or check only)
Mon., Dec. 16, 6-7:30 p.m.: Lanpher Library, Hyde Park (books available for purchase for cash or check only)