Rhyming, four-line stanzas celebrate Christmas in both secular and religious aspects.
A bevy of animals, presumably polar and mostly white with the occasional red scarf or cap, romp in the snow and generally exude Christmas cheer. Snowshoe hares watch a white mouse hang red baubles from an exposed fir bough; a husky family drags a sled out to fetch a tree; harp seals play on the floes. A family of polar bears quaffs hot cocoa inside an igloo; Arctic foxes decorate cookies; penguins (presumably visiting from Antarctica) decorate a snowy tree. Whitlow’s illustrations employ a palette of icy blues, with red and green accents; his soft-focus animals all smile benignly.
Every spread features frolicking mice, which give visual appeal. Hall's quatrains, written in an abab rhyme scheme, are sugar-cookie sweet and punctuated often with exclamation marks. In line with the general tone, the rhyme and meter are occasionally forced and constantly singsong. God is clearly involved in this celebration, giving snow, joy, and the gift of the infant Jesus. Given the book's religious origins, it's a shame there isn't a little more gravitas to counteract the sweetness.
Nhận xét
Đăng nhận xét