Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Watts stages the familiar Christmas carol in a quaint village. "Winter was coming," but the titular drummer boy, Benjamin-wearing only patched clothing and a red cap to keep him warm-plays his drum on the village streets. When "three strangers" invite the boy to play for a newborn king, Benjamin suggests that he is "too poor and shabby" for the honor. As the snow begins to fall and the cobblestone streets of the village darken, Benjamin meets with his friend Rachel, who is eager to give the newborn baby a gift of warm shoes. In the manger, the baby receives several presents, but Benjamin feels that he has nothing to give-except his music. In her familiar art style, Watts infuses the scenes with light, gently illuminating tiled rooftops and flooding the Nativity with a golden glow. A bright, traditional retelling of the classic. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
An orphan drummer boy gives the gift of music to the newborn king. This version of the Nativity story isn't set in Bethlehem, however, but in what looks like a Germanic village in winter. The snow-dusted landscape in a pastel palette evokes a picturesque scene, but the winter setting for the well-known story seems incongruous. Information about the Grimm brothers is mistakenly appended. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An Alpine village is the setting for a retelling of the story behind this Christmas carol.As day breaks over the mountains, a homeless, orphan boy named Benjamin plays his drum outdoors. When travelers invite Benjamin to accompany them to honor a newborn king, he declines, having nothing to bring and ashamed of his shabby appearance. His friend Rachel convinces him to go along with her. She too is dressed in ragged clothes but tells him, "It does not matter.He will not look at our clothes, only into our hearts." As the villagers gather by the stable, Benjamin plays his drum. Soft pastels create a beautiful atmosphere with light glittering from a star overhead and the golden glow of hearths below. Nonetheless, some of the charm of the carol is lost by the expansion of the lyrics into a full story with named characters. The song, with its soft, repetitive refrain and first-person perspective, leaves room for the imagination to fill in the emotional range of a magical experience. This feels a bit forced, especially with the addition of Rachel, who has her own gift as well as the volition that Benjamin lacks. Benjamin, Rachel, and the rest of the characters present white. Backmatter includes a brief biography of the Brothers Grimm although there's no discernible attribution or connection to the song or story.For families interested in revisiting a favorite Christmas theme. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
