DiCamillo and Ibatoulline's Christmas Collaboration Brings Great Joy

When I was a youngster, my role as an angel in a Christmas pageant required me to recite the biblical speech that includes the statement, "Behold! I bring you tidings of great joy!" This staple of Sunday school Christmas plays is the cornerstone of Kate DiCamillo's tender Great Joy, which is lavishly illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, who previously collaborated with DiCamillo on The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

Frances, the compassionate little girl with the big line to deliver, is excited about her upcoming moment in the spotlight, but that enthusiasm is dampened by her realization that while she is warm and cozy up in her bedroom, out in the street below her an organ grinder and his monkey sleep in the snowy cold. When she expresses her concerns, her mother reacts with disdainful detachment, but that doesn't stop Frances from trying to figure out how she can bestow some Christmas warmth on this pair of homeless musicians.

DiCamillo weaves her tale beautifully, but Ibatoulline's acrylic and gouache paintings are what make the book so spectacular. There's a hazy quality to each of the pictures that magnifies the emotions of the almost photo-realistic characters. Frances, with her twin braids, blue ribbons and thoughtful gaze, and the grinder, with his old coat, graying mustache and melancholy eyes, are especially expressive. Careful study of the illustrations reveals that there is more to the story that DiCamillo explicitly indicates, such as the photograph of Frances' father in a military uniform, which explains his absence and probably has something to do with her mother's extra degree of caution.

The book has an old-fashioned feel to it, largely because of the man with the fez-adorned, bell-ringing monkey, a brand of street entertainment that seems to belong to an earlier time, but there doesn't seem to be any direct reference to a specific time frame. The ambiguity works well for a story that could be enjoyed just as easily by grandparents as by schoolchildren.

I've read many of the new Christmas books adorning bookstore shelves this season, and most have been delightful. Some, such as Angelina's Christmas and The Legend of St. Nicholas, similarly focus on bringing yuletide cheer to the less fortunate, but I think this one moved me more than any of the others. A gently resplendent tale in which readers can immerse themselves, basking in the glow of the luminous paintings, Great Joy is cause for great rejoicing.

Christmas With George is More Fun Than a Barrel of Monkeys

Over the weekend, the mall where I work was swamped. One reason, no doubt, is the simple fact that several busloads worth of shoppers had landed, eager to hunt down some deals. Another is that with Halloween out of the way, the mall has quickly switched into full-on Christmas mode, and folks in my town seem to be taking the bait. But I think at least a bit of the credit ought to go to a curious monkey by the name of George, who stopped by for story time with a slew of appreciative kids.

The beloved primate continues to enchant young readers with new adventures despite the deaths of his creators in 1977 and 1996. In Merry Christmas, Curious George, released last year, George gets himself into a tricky situation when the Man in the Yellow Hat takes him to a nursery in search of a Christmas tree. Each one seems so fantastic, George happily swings from tree to tree, until the magnificent specimen in which he is resting is chopped down, strapped to a truck and carted away to a children's hospital.

Never one to let his fear get the better of his curiosity, George soon ventures from behind the needles and investigates the hospital, where he is greeted by excited children and an aggravated nurse. A monkey has no business in the hospital, especially when he takes it upon himself to decorate the tree that brought him there with pilfered items such as x-rays and get well balloons. Who will persevere in this battle of the wills?

The story was written by Cathy Hapka, who I assume is the same Cathy Hapka who wrote two LOST tie-in novels, one of which was considerably more satisfying than the other. Here, she only has two characters she has to worry about getting right, and that's George and his sunny human pal, who scarcely is involved in the story anyway. Hapka delivers an enjoyable story, and Mary O'Keefe Young illustrates it entertainingly, giving us many glimpses of George's well-meaning mischief.

As a nice, though not terribly practical, bonus, inside the cover is tucked a sheet of thick wrapping paper featuring an assortment of glass ornaments in which scenes involving George are reflected. After witnessing his generous spirit, perhaps the kids reading will be a little more eager to make use of it. In any case, this recent outing of Curious George is a fun tale to be treasured for years to come.