A Christmas Carol

by Adam McKeown, Gerald Kelley (Illustrator)

Even the youngest readers can enjoy Charles Dickens’s classic Christmas tale in this beautifully illustrated picture book version of the holiday favorite, simple to read but with all the magic of Dickens’s voice preserved.

Follow miserly Scrooge as he is whisked through the night by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come in order to face his selfish treatment of Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim.

Families will enjoy reading this shortened version of Dickens’s story together, with its warm illustrations that capture every twist and turn.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2015

Reviews

[Addie]

This was a very well done adaptation of the book by Charles Dickens. This illustrated version gives an accurate idea of what occurs in the original book. For children, this version is perfect if they have a shorter attention span, or need a refresher before watching the play or movie versions. I enjoyed the way the artist used watercolor - not washed out, but instead, full of vibrant color!

[Cosette]

Seems to be missing some fairly minor peeps...

[Laura]

Such a great adaptation for a picture book - and the watercolor and pen artwork is to die for.

[IRIFF]

This book was for Day 3 in our countdown to Christmas. The story is a VERY simplified version of the original, with lots of plot holes but appropriate for a young audience. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come was sufficiently scary to my 3 year old. So glad I could share this classic with him!

[Congetta]

Illustrations were sumptuous. The story was fine, but after having read the original it seemed light and it was missing the depth of emotions. He tried to convey it with words; but he didn’t hit the right marks. Definitely a beginner version of the story.

[Kim Fincher]

I like this adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Great book to read to children so they understand the story. Some of the narratives stray from the original story, but it's still a good read. The illustrations were beautiful and captured the essence of A Christmas Carol.
Highly recommend!

[Lauren]

Beautiful pictures. Seems like a transposed version of Charles Dickens’ original Christmas Carol but something wasn’t quite the same as the Dickens’ version.

[Valerie]

Great illustrated child's picture book version of this wonderful classic!

[Laura Mazzotti]

Lovely & child friendly version of an evergreen masterpiece

Very good illustrated book to introduce my 5-year-old to C.D.: he truly enjoyed it! I got the ebook at a very good price.

[Jeani]

Really accessible and fantastically illustrated.

[Robyn Klepfer]

Short, easy to read and understand with beautiful watercolor art. Great way to introduce kids to a Christmas classic.

[Dann]

A Christmas Carol is a wonderful storybook adaptation of Charles Dickens’ beloved classic. When a cold hearted businessman named Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas, he learns the error of his ways. Writer Adam McKeown does a brilliant job of simplifying the story to a children’s reading level without compromising Dickens’ work. And Gerald Kelley’s illustrations really capture the tone of the material as well as the characters. An extraordinarily well-crafted children’s book, A Christmas Carol is full of the magic of the season.

[James Biser]

This is an excellent retelling of Dickens' The Christmas Carol that is illustrated and told well for children. I highly recommend this as a book for children. It is the perfect introduction to one of the best Christmas stories.

[Barbara]

Watercolor and digital illustrations provide atmospheric support for the classic story of a man who has lost his way and become focused only on making and holding onto money. The name of Ebeneezer Scrooge has become synonymous with greed and stinginess while his nighttime adventures with the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come remind him of the error of his ways and soften his heart. While this picture book version of the classic story, originally published in 1843 might offer a good introduction to the timeless tale, purists will prefer the original with its detail and description and wonderfully frightening passages. Still, because of its brevity, this account might be ideal for reading before the fireplace as the holiday season approaches. Most readers or listeners will find the possibility of the bleak future hinted at by the final spirit visitor to be quite chilling and definitely providing a wakeup call for Scrooge.

[Jillian]

Very rushed. I know there's only so much you can do in the picture book medium, and this book hit the *most* important notes, but it didn't go a single word beyond them. So as a result, people who know this story inside and out will be frustrated, and people who don't know the story at all might be a little lost in the whirlwind. It gets the job done, though.

The illustrations are breathtaking. They're easily the best I've seen in a written adaptation of the book.

[Rhonda K]

A perfect edition of Dickens,' Christmas Carol for early or pre-readers. Gorgeous illustrations and a faithful rendering for a younger audience. Pair with Magic Tree House #44 which tells of Jack and Annie's adventures with Charles Dickens. We'll be reading this for a few years!

[Christine]

Wonderful illustrations and written in a condensed manner for middle grades. This book gives a different impression of the story than the Disney version children are used to from the common Christmas traditions.