A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, retold by Tony Mitton
Ill. by Mike Redman. Orchard Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408351673
Highly recommended. Themes: Christmas; Charles Dickens; Generosity;
Poetry; Rhyme. This is wonderful poetic rendering of the classic
story from Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. Mitton has
told this story of transformation in a clear and simple way, with
rhyme seeming unforced and natural and therefore very appealing for
a young reader. The younger generation are unlikely to read Dickens'
original work, but references to the old Miser Scrooge who is
changed on Christmas Eve when confronted with a number of ghosts,
has become part of the common experience and vernacular and
therefore this story is worth sharing in this easy to read form.
The illustrations provided by Mike Redman are delightful, with
initially dark and sombre detail befitting Dickens' work. (Scrooge's
work chair is impossibly high, and his office is grey and dismal).
When Scrooge finally repents of his former ways and generosity flows
to Bob Cratchit and his ailing son Tiny Tim, colour flows more
freely.
This is an easy to read book and can quite easily be used by many to
reflect on the need to consider others at Christmas and to be
generous with what we have . . . before it is too late.
Highly recommended.
Carolyn Hull