Marjorie Wyckoff

Originally published in 1946, and then reprinted this year (2018) in this new edition, Christmas Carols is a Little Golden Book presentation of twelve classic Christmas songs and carols, complete with musical arrangement by Marjorie Wyckoff, and accompanying artwork by Corinne Malvern. The carols here include: O Jesu Sweet, O Jesu Mild / Away in a Manger / Joy to the World / Deck the Halls / The First Nowell / While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks / O Come, All Ye Faithful / O Christmas Tree / He Is Sleeping / I Saw Three Ships / Silent Night / Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.

Although I am not currently a piano player, I did take lessons as a young girl (like so many), and can imagine that this might have been one of the books in my library, if I had kept at it. The arrangements look simple enough, and the artwork, which has that mid-twentieth-century sweetness I associate with such illustrators as Elizabeth Orton Jones (among others) is cute. I originally picked this one up because of my interest in picture-books which use Christmas carols as their text or story inspiration, not realizing that this was exactly as advertised: a book of the carols themselves. That said, it was a pleasure to page through, singing some of the selections, and enjoying the artwork. Recommended to anyone looking for a Christmas carol collection for younger children.… (meer)