Else Wenz-Viëtor (1882–1973)

Father Christmas sets out to bring his gifts to the little animals and children of the world in this sweet holiday tale, illustrated by Else Wenz-Viëtor, one of the most celebrated German children's artists of the 1920s and 30s. His angel helper, Pip, finds that she must hurry, after forgetting the treats and gifts she was meant to bring, but all ends well, and two very happy children find they get exactly what they longed for...

After greatly enjoying Wenz-Viëtor's artwork in The Christmas Rose, a holiday picture-book by Sepp Bauer, first published as an advent calendar in 1920, I went looking for more of her work, finding this title from Edinburgh-based Floris Books. Published in 2009, On Christmas Eve is a slim little book (only sixteen pages!), and does not give any information as to translator, or original title, although it mentions the original German publisher as Alfred Hahn's Verlag. I was able to find a title with the same cover art, entitled Weihnachten ("Christmas"), with verse by Hertha v. d. Knesebeck. This was first published in 1932, although not by Alfred Hahn's Verlag. If this Floris Books edition is a translation of that earlier book, however loosely done, I cannot understand why the author's name was not included. If it is not a translation of that title, then who wrote it?

Leaving aside my disappointment at this lack of information, regarding the original publication history of this book, I did enjoy the sweet story and lovely, old-fashioned artwork here. Father Christmas is somewhat different from the traditional American Santa figure - he's taller and leaner, and somewhat less jolly - which was quite interesting to me. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for delightful, old-fashioned Christmas stories, and to fans of the artist's work.… (meer)