Customer Reviews

The Huron Carol

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This is an illustrated version of how the Christian missionaries tried to teach the story of the Nativity to native American Indians (in what is now Eastern Canada, I think). This book is the illustration of a beautiful song, telling of the birth of Jesus, with musical notation in the back so you can also learn and sing the song. The words of the song are given in English, and also an older version of French and of the native Indian language in which the missionaries were working.

It is a beautiful book and has a wonderful peaceful quality, like snow on a winter's morning. Very nice for the Christmas season.

In a world where we must be careful how we approach the holidays in our clasroom, I found the Huron Carol to follow curriculum guidelines and enchant the reader as well. The illustrations are mystical and haunting in the blues of winter. The story is old, but we listen with new ears to the lovely tale of a Christmas in the far north. A welcome addition to any classroom.

I used this book during Advent with my third grade class in a Christian school in Winnipeg for a decade. We sang the song from the back cover with drumbeats(drumming on thighs and books)in English and Huron while I paged through the pictures as an opener for our Advent worship. They never tired of it. Nor did I. The gentle illustrations that accompany this first Canadian Christmas carol helped build a respect for Huron people, First Nations history, and nurtured a deeper love of Jesus Ahatonia, Jesus our King.
Elsie Rempel.

The books were purchased new, and they came in excellent condition. I gave one to my granddaughters for Christmas, and they loved it. The pictures are beautiful. I teach a unit on Native American literature and culture and pla to share this book with my students next year.