Ben's Christmas Carol [Hardcover]

Toby Forward (Author), Ruth Brown (Illustrator)

Book Description

A mouse's version of the classic holiday tale by Dickens follows the story of the miserly Ben, who hates Christmas and avoids his less-fortunate neighbor, until a ghostly midnight tour, mouse-style, convinces him to relinquish his mean ways.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ebenezer Scrooge has been reincarnated as a rich and stingy mouse named Ben in this homage to Dickens's A Christmas Carol. All the characters of the classic tale are alive?or undead?and well in Forward's (Traveling Backward) parallel rodent world. The poor but kindhearted Tim and even a ghost named Jake cavort beneath floorboards and behind walls, foraging for the true meaning of Christmas. In a delightful twist, many of Brown's (Copycat) expansive paintings simultaneously depict Dickens's Victorian London figures above ground and Forward's furry society below. Her alternating perspectives are dead-on, allowing youngsters to ponder situations from a mouse's-eye view. The naturalistic, expressive creatures and scenes of dank, dingy mouse quarters and wintry city streets invite a closer look at every turn. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-9. As Scrooge is being escorted around town by ghosts on Christmas Eve, Ben, a miserly mouse living in Scrooge's house, is taken on a similar tour by a ghost mouse named Jake. Ben bets the ghost that he will have no trouble giving away a luscious candied plum, but to his surprise, the mice Ben offers it to have more important things on their minds. Forward deftly reworks Dickens' famous story, upholding both its serious message and its joyous conclusion. The paintings are sumptuous, with mouse characters seeming at once real rodents and disguised humans, and Victorian London is displayed in all its moods--from spooky and grimy to celebratory. Children familiar with Dickens' original story will enjoy this takeoff the most, but the tale can also serve as a good introduction to the Christmas classic. Susan Dove Lempke

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525455930
• ISBN-13: 978-0525455936
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,825,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to Dicken's, January 8, 2000

By 

Jule Kijek (Redford, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ben's Christmas Carol (Hardcover)

The story of 'A Christmas Carol' is told through the eyes of Ben; a young mouse. As we see the mice story going on you can see the human counter-parts as well. The pictures are beautiful! Ruth Brown out-does herself in bringing Dickens' London on the 1800's to life. Make reading this book a part of your yearly Christmas tradition.

4.0 out of 5 stars Children's Version of a Classic, November 21, 2000

By 

"klwalk" (Manhattan, KS United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ben's Christmas Carol (Hardcover)

This book is a wonderful take on Dicken's Christmas Carol, with beautifully garbed and set Victorian mice taking the roles of Scrooge (Ben) Tiny Tim (Tim) and Jacob Marley (Jake). Ben is prooved wrong when he thinks greed will overtake Christmas spirit, and like Scrooge, learns a happy lesson in the end. For younger children, you may need to summarize - the text is complicated! But they will enjoy the basics of the story and looking at the wonderful paintings/illustrations. Since Christmas stories are a tradition, this book will be a great Christmas read for older children - ages 8-12.