On Christmas Day in the Morning: A Traditional Carol - Softcover

John Langstaff has spent much of his life sharing his love of music with audiences young and old. He was born on Christmas Eve in New York, but now lives in Massachussetts. Melissa Sweet has illustrated more than forty books for children, including Love and Kisses. In her illustrator notes at the back of On Christmas Day in the Morning, she writes "I researched the many symbols and images associated with the Christmas season. These rich symbols, associated with nature, agriculture and the cycle of seasons, originated long before the time of Jesus Christ, and continue to remind us of joy, abundance and rebirth." She includes brief notes on mistletoe, oak, holly, laurel, Christmas rose, pomegranate and wheat.

PreSchool-Grade 2-Charming watercolor, gouache, and collage artwork illustrates this traditional carol. Set in a fanciful, medieval English countryside, each spread features a verse of the song opposite a picture of an animal performing a farming chore. For example, "a pig went out to dig," "a cow went out to plow," etc. The individual verses conclude with two energetic, joyous double-page spreads showing all of the animals gathering for the Christmas feast, and then celebrating throughout the countryside. "Let every creature on Earth now sing,/On Christmas Day,/On Christmas Day./Let every creature on Earth now sing/On Christmas Day in the morning!" The score is appended, followed by a two-page history of the Christmas symbols shown in the artwork-mistletoe, oak, holly, laurel, Christmas rose, pomegranate, and wheat. Perfect for holiday storytimes and individual sharing, this is an enchanting picture book.-L.F.
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