About the Author

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian age. His work, which includes such enduring classics as David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations, has enthralled readers for generations. A Christmas Carol was an immediate success when first published on December 17, 1843, and has remained continuously in print ever since.

P.J. Lynch is one of the most talented and revered illustrators working today. He has won many awards, including the Mother Goose Award, the Irish Bisto Award twice, and the Kate Greenaway Medal twice — in 1995 for The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey and again in 1998 for When Jessie Came Across the Sea. P.J. Lynch lives in Dublin, Ireland.

Reviews

Gr 3-6-Who better than the illustrator of Lemony Snicket's Dickensian "A Series of Unfortunate Events" to present the master's timeless tale in a picture book? Helquist's composition draws readers' eyes to Scrooge on every page, often crafting the mood of the tale through the expressions on Ebenezer's oversize features. An abridged text renders the tale accessible to a younger audience. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Helquist's vision of the classic story depicts a hawkish Scrooge (who's a cadaverous shade of green) against a backdrop of bustling Victorian streets, with pleasing touches of detail, humor and a few frightful strokes. When the clock strikes one, announcing the arrival of the first ghost, the moon hangs in an unholy green sky, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come stands in a tattered cloak, surrounded by eddying mists (but also draped with strings of Christmas lights). The eye-catching art makes a strong pairing to the accessible abridgment of Dickens's text. Ages 5-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.