Review: A Christmas Treasury by Dover, Clement Clarke Moore, Carolyn S. Hodgman

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

This lovely holiday anthology features seasonal classics from the turn of the twentieth century. Recounted in verse, the tales feature quaint color illustrations by popular children's artists of the era such as Margaret Evans Price, W. F. Stecher, Raphael Tuck, and others. Heartwarming tales include:
The Night Before Christmas, Clement C. Moore's timeless poem about a visit from St. Nicholas; Father Christmas, a celebration of plum pudding, Jack Frost, snowmen, and other holiday delights;
How Santa Filled the Christmas Stockings, in which a little boy discovers the pitfalls of greed; A Visit to Santa Claus, the story of Teddy's trip in his glider to Santa's workshop; Polar Bear at the Zoo, in which Teddy and his flying machine return to the North Pole with a polar bear; and Christmas ABC, charming verse couplets that spell out Yuletide treats.

MY TAKE:
There's nothing like some nice Christmas-themed poems to get you in the mood for Christmas.

In A Christmas Treasury, readers get to read some old Christmas classics like The Night Before Christmas, Father Christmas, How Santa Filled the Christmas Stockings, A Visit to Santa Claus, Polar Bear at the Zoo, and Christmas ABC.

These poems and rhymes are quite old and the font used adds to the old-timey feel of the book. The original illustrations are included too. To get an idea of what the illustration style is like, imagine the vintage ads you sometimes see on websites like Tumblr. Most of it is quite nice and makes you feel nostalgic for the old days. There were a couple of creepy ones, though, particularly the black and white drawings.

I was also a little creeped out by one rhyme that went "'Wait a minute, little Miss-- May I have one tiny kiss?'" The accompanying picture showed a little girl under a mistletoe and an older man wearing a jester/clown costume and a mask sneaking up behind her. I really hope that was her father, because otherwise, that's a bit troubling.

Overall, though, this is the kind of book that you keep in your family library so that you can read it together when everyone visits for the holidays. It could probably work as a children's book too, but I don't know if kids today will still like the old illustration styles.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dover Publications for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. This is could be a fun book to read together during the holidays.
2. It gets you in the mood for Christmas.
3. This is something the whole family can enjoy. 

THE BAD:

1. There are some illustrations that may be too scary or creepy for little children. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

'Twas the night before Christmas,
When all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

READ IT IF:

1. You want to get in the mood for the holidays.
2. You are looking for something you can read with your family.
3. You're looking for a book you can enjoy for years to come. 

RATING:


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