Christina Rossetti's beautiful Christmas poem, In the Bleak Midwinter, provides the text for this lovely seasonal picture-book from artist Tomie dePaola. The words of the poem—also a beloved Christmas carol–are paired with illustrations in a variety of styles, all depicting the Nativity Story...

Published earlier this year (2021), Christina's Carol is a posthumous publication for dePaola, who sadly passed away in 2020. I am not entirely sure whether this was a project he was working on, at the time of his death, or whether it was put together afterword, using his artwork. The colophon at the rear of the book, which includes quite a few copyright notices regarding the various illustrations used, makes me think that the latter must be the case, and that this was not a dePaola project, as such. Rather, I think it must have been a project in which his artwork, taken from diverse sources, was paired with Rossetti's poem. This would explain why the artistic style and media varies so much, from dioramas to paintings and drawings in a number of different styles.

Leaving this issue aside, I greatly enjoyed the book, and think that it would make a wonderful addition to any Christmas picture-book set. The poem itself is striking, exploring the Nativity Story, and highlighting the idea that we as Christians are not simply meant to passively receive the gift of Christ, come into the world on this day, but rather, to bring our own gifts as well. The seemingly humble gift offered by the poem's narrator—her heart—is the best offering of all, I think. The artwork is beautiful, as one would expect from dePaola, and I enjoyed seeing the various different approaches shown, sometimes to the depiction of the same scene. The Madonna and Child, for instance, are depicted in four different styles on the same two-page spread.

Highly recommended to picture-book readers looking for Christmas picture-books with a more religious sensibility, and featuring a classic poem/song. My own reading pleasure was greatly enhanced by listening to a recording of a performance of the song, as I read. ( )