Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Johnny Marks
Book and CD. Ill. by Louis Shea. Performed by Penny McNamee.
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742993638
(Ages: 3-7) Themes: Christmas. Louis Shea makes a lot of
non-traditional colour choices for children's books, especially with
his use of bright, almost fluorescent colour. His illustrations here
also seem a little dark and too focused on humour rather than
bringing to life the warm Christmas story of someone different
becoming a real hero. The song itself is unchanged; it just has a
short section added to the beginning: 'You know Dasher and Dancer
and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But
do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all?'
Older children will appreciate the humour in the illustrations (one
of the reindeer dressed up like a clown and wearing a red nose to
tease Rudolph about his nose) but most of the jokes will go over the
heads of a younger audience. This publication falls rather flat on
both fronts: it is neither a nicely repackaged recitation or an
adapted version with a unique perspective.
Nicole Nelson