Wenceslas: The Eternal Christmas Story [Paperback]

Geraldine McCaughrean (Author), Christian Birmingham (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Good King Wenceslas looked out On the Feast of Stephen, When the snow lay round about, Deep and crisp and even . . .  

The age-old carol of Good King Wenceslas and his page—who set out on a bitter winter night to deliver the spirit of Christmas—is retold in this lavishly illustrated storybook. The majestic images in rich, soft oil pastels are a perfect complement to this much-loved tale.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Christian Birmingham’s artwork is outstanding: hazy, blurred scenes seen through falling snow contrast with the warm glow of indoor feasting."  —The Children's Bookseller

About the Author

Geraldine McCaughrean has been awarded the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Book Prize for her previous titles, which include Blue Moon Mountain, the Heroes series, Peter Pan in Scarlet, and The White Darkness. Christian Birmingham has been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal, the Kurt Maschler Award, and the Mother Goose Award for his children's illustrations.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers (November 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0552549096
• ISBN-13: 978-0552549097
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,153,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

It's 30 years now since I first got published, and 50 since I found out how writing let me step outside my little, everyday world and go wherever I chose - way back in Time, to far distant shores, towards my own, home-made happy ending. Not that all my books are an easy ride. I write adventure, first and foremost, because that's what I enjoyed reading as a child. But since I have published over 150 books now, there are all manner of books in among that number - gorgeously illustated picture books, easy readers, prize winners, teenage books and five adult novels.
The White Darkness won the Printz Award in the USA, which, for as Englishwoman, was the most amazing, startling thrill.
Then there was Peter Pan in Scarlet - official sequel to J M Barrie's Peter Pan, written on behalf of Great Ormond Street Hopsital for Sick Children. I won the chance to write that in a worldwide competition, and because Peter Pan is loved everywhere, my book sold worldwide too. I can't say I expected that when, as a child, I dreamed of being like my older brother and getting a book published one day.
These days I have a husband (who's good at continuity and spelling) and a daughter who is an excellent editor. But she's at the Royal Academy of Dramtic Art now, studying to become an actor. So, naturally, I have turned my hand to writing plays. (So many actors, so few plays!)
My Mum told me, "Never boil your cabbages twice, dear," which was her way of saying, "Don't repeat yourself." So I have tried never to write the same book twice. You'll find all my novels quite different from one another. I have also done lots of retellings of myth, legend, folk and fairy tales, and adapted indigestible classics such as El Cid, the Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, Moby Dick, Shakespeare and the Pilgrim's Progress.
Something for everyone, you see, my dear young, not-so-young, eccentric, middle-of-the-road, poetical, sad, cheerful, timid or reckless reader.
All they have in common is that they all contain words. If you are allergic to words, you'd best not open the covers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Winter warmth from a beautiful book, October 11, 2007

By 

J. P. C. Wit (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wenceslas (Hardcover)

STORY
Based on the well know Christmas song, Geraldine McCaughrean has written a wonderful adaptation that is just perfect for winter reading to your children. A story of warmth, compassion and Yuletide spirit, this book should do great with both parents and children alike.

ILLUSTRATIONS
Somewhere online someone (I think it was a publisher) wrote that if ever any artist was perfect for his chosen medium, it was Christian Birmingham. With 'Wenceslas', this amazing artist shows once again how true that remark is. I could go on and on about the amazing textures this craftsman has created with his pastels, brilliant choices of colour (beautiful hues of blue, purple, yello and orange) and other artistic choices Birmingham has made here, but it all comes down to this: this is a gorgeous book, you'll be paging through it again and again just for gazing at the artwork.