Stand-out art makes these children’s Christmas books practically jump off the pages. Kids will love them, but anyone any age will want to explore the pictures.
A paperback version of “The Night Before Christmas” (HarperTrophy, $6.99) is made up of decisive lines that give the illustrations the same bold feel as the verse. Not even a mouse could be timid here.
Tradition (the poem by Clement C. Moore) meets modernity (art by Richard Jesse Watson) in a jazzed-up take of the classic.
In more than one picture, Santa wears goggles that look as though he belongs on a ski slope. The sleigh bears a slight resemblance to an airborne pontoon boat.
There are complex details, like the whimsical, fascinating dashboard that guides the sleigh on its journey. It is filled with minute technological gear that will catch any child’s eye. It might well be an airplane cockpit.
Colors make this book deeply and robustly dramatic. Watson’s palette makes the story a midnight-cloaked wonderland, filled with dark and rich hues. He eschews pastels in favor of strong tones.
Filled to the covers with infinite small, humorous touches, this bargain book is a steal.
Exquisite illustrations by Christian Birmingham and an earth-shaking story by Hans Christian Andersen, retold skillfully by Naomi Lewis, make “The Snow Queen” memorable.
The book (Candlewick Press, $18.99) sends chills down readers’ spines, with evil taking over the early part of the tale. Innocence and good have a hard fight before the story resolves with well-earned victory.
Beautiful though the Snow Queen is in this book, the art makes her cold nature clear. The cover shows only her face. The rest of her is immersed in a blinding snow storm.
Focusing on a colorful cast of characters, “The Snow Queen” tells with clarity a complex story. Woven around the spectacular, shimmering pictures, the text is equally unforgettable.
The images, some photos and some old-time art, are the highlight of “Christmas,” by Aaron Frisch (Creative Education, $16.95).
While the text is helpful, the pictures are the striking part of “Christmas.” The words explain Christianity clearly, but most of the excitement comes from photographs such as those of a stained-glass window and a close-up image of a magenta ornament.
Even more captivating are old drawings: St. Nicholas on a prancing horse, and children in a 19th-century bed, eyeing a tree lit with candles.
History as well as art make these illustrations dazzling.
There even is a reproduction of a long-ago Christmas card. In this book, education is possible merely by enjoying beauty.
A short story originally written for adults, O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” will touch kids, too.
Illustrated by P.J. Lynch, this version of the classic story (Candlewick Press, $15.99) is rendered in earth tones that echo the color of heroine Della’s hair.
That long, luxuriant hair, sacrificed to purchase a pricey gift for husband Jim, becomes the focal point of the narrative. Thick and exceptionally beautiful, the hair is lopped off in a scene that children — even young children — will understand.
Sleek and flowing lines make Lynch’s watercolors eloquent. A minimum of words is needed to convey the two main characters’ emotions. In fact, the dust jacket tells almost the whole tale before the book even is opened.
In that one picture, Della’s shorn locks bespeak her gift. It is easy to see from the beginning that the gift of this young couple is love.
Another picture book that isn’t just for kids is “Deck the Halls,” featuring magazine covers and advertisements of the late Normal Rockwell (Atheneum, $16.99). A master of American painting, Rockwell is represented here by some of his best works.
Every painting depicts what we celebrate about American life and our traditions. The pictures are old-fashioned and nostalgic, tugging at our heartstrings. Especially touching is the romantic couple, wrapped around each other as they skate on a pond, their faces aglow.
On one page, we are reminded to “Strike the harp and join the chorus” as the accompanying art shows carolers and instrumentalists in front of a quaint village scene.
All the paintings are warm and sweet and innocent, a reminder of times when life was slower and eminently grander.
The book closes with a recap of all the illustrations in miniature, with a list of credits, which shows where each illustration was published or exhibited. It gives a panoramic view of Christmas as seen through the eyes of a singular American historian.
Every family should own a copy of this family-centered volume.
State Journal-Register
author: Lois Henderlong