Under the Christmas Tree

From Publishers Weekly With any luck, Santa's sack will be filled with copies of this gem of a picture book. Grimes (Meet Danitra Brown) offers glimpses of Christmastime from a child's eyes, in the form of 23 poems that shine with all the hallmarks of the season. Her text is universal in sentiment, but telling in its detail, as when a child waits for her candle to be lit at a Christmas Eve service ("Two-handed, I manage/ To hold my candle still,/ My heart thundering until/ The flame is finally/ Passed to me") or dreams of joining the skaters she watches, carving figure eights in an ice rink. Nelson's (Big Jabe) tender oil paintings feature African-American children and their families, churchgoers and multi-ethnic passersby on city streets. Expert lighting suffuses his interiors with a golden holiday glow. All ages.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 4-Grimes and Nelson are ideal collaborators for this celebration of the sights, sounds, and feelings of Christmas from a child's point of view. Twenty-three poems take readers through the season, focusing on the life of an urban African-American family. The selections capture the excitement and wonder ("Slightly giddy/And primed/For miracles") as well as humor ("Christmas-His cradle/Is empty. Did He grow up?/Is He Santa now?") and wisdom. Nelson's realistic paintings in rich, muted colors and soft textures masterfully portray the warmth and joy of the selections. This is a treasure that families will want to share every year.-M. W. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.