From Publishers Weekly
"December, in my memory, is as white as Lapland," Thomas recalls, reading a line from "A Child's Christmas in Wales." For the poet, December also bursts with "deadly snowballs," "blue knuckles" and snow that "grows overnight on the roofs of houses." Although phrases like these are beautiful on their own, hearing Thomas speak them adds a magnificent melancholy. He recorded these six pieces in New York City in 1952, and they've been remastered and collected into one wonderful package. In the title story, Thomas marvels at winter's quirky delights: presents and holiday sweets (including candy cigarettes), snow boots and footprints, aunts who lace their tea with rum, wind rustling through the trees, family music recitals and caroling (Thomas even sings a line or two of Good King Wenceslas). His Welsh-accented voice rises and falls as he reads the evocative tale of his own long-ago Christmas. Thomas performs the other selections-"Fern Hill," "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night," "In the White Giant's Thigh," "Ballad of the Long-Legged Bait" and "Ceremony After a Fire Raid"-with an equally vibrant and powerful voice. While they don't conjure up the same wintry images as the lead piece, they marvelously round out this lovely assemblage. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3 Up–Raschka's illustrations will surely enhance children's enjoyment of this nostalgic, bittersweet memoir. Executed in ink, torn paper, and gouache on sensuously textured paper, they are full of tiny details that beg for closer inspection. Some libraries may still have copies illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg (New Directions, 1997), Edward Ardizzone (Godine, 1980), or Trina Schart Hyman (Holiday, 1985). Of these earlier editions, Hyman's probably succeeds best at capturing the story's time and place. Raschka, however, finds the universal elements that a contemporary child can relate to–the eccentric aunts, the joy of pretending to smoke candy cigarettes, the classification of gifts into "Useful Presents" and "Useless Presents." This is a handsome book that most libraries will want.–V. W. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The New Yorker, on the Fritz Eichenberg illustrations for the New Directions edition
The texture of the engravings has an almost tactile vibrancy.

From AudioFile
Larger-than-life Dylan Thomas possessed a delicate aptness of detail in his writing, and his poetic sensibility shows in every crafted description in "A Child's Christmas in Wales." The story avoids sentiment or nostalgia and gets right to the sublime nature of new snow and mischief with friends and the difference between "useful gifts" (scratchy woolens) and the much more desirable useless ones (gobs of candy and perhaps a small ax). Thomas's deep, thunderous voice belies his sense of humor, which is amply evident in "A Child's Christmas." Caedmon's 1952 recording is without frills, but still a fine one, with a faint echo following each of Thomas's booming pronouncements, and the digitally remastered CD is a keepsake. The five poems are a bonus, and the stirring "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" might just be the perfect rumination for the cold, quiet nights creeping toward the new year. J.M.D. -- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Gr. 3-6. First published in book form in 1954, this haunting memoir of the poet's childhood Christmases is back in a well-designed package. Creating the art with ink and gouache on torn and textured paper, Raschka reflects the spirit of this read-aloud favorite without always adhering literally to descriptions in the text: observant children will find that one of the "long" cats is not long and the "fawn-bowlered" man wears a bowler of black and red. Appearing on nearly every page, the pictures are alight with color and express an almost musical sense of movement. Though many readers will prefer the older editions with more traditional illustrations by Edward Ardizzone and Trina Schart Hyman, Raschka's fans will enjoy the art for its own sake. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

ANNOTATION

A Welsh poet recalls the celebration of Christmas with his family and the feelings it evoked in him as a child.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

First recorded in February of 1952, this remastered recording of Dylan Thomas reading his A Child's Christmas in Wales recalls all of the sights, smells, and sounds of a long-ago-Christmas.

Thomas's wonderful recollection of this holiday in the seaside town of his youth is captured in this vivid performance. Also included are five other selected poems read by Dylan Thomas, including his well-known Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.

Whether sharing his wistful memory of a holiday spent with people long past, or addressing the perennial problem of our mortality, Thomas gives us great pleasure in our personal and common memories while affirming life with a resounding "Yes!"

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly