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

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

FROM THE PUBLISHER

For almost half a century, Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales has entranced both young and old and has become a familiar part of the holiday-season landscape. With lovely poetic lilt, this simple tale captures the child's eye-view and an adult's warm remembrance of the time of presents, good things to eat, and, in the best of circumstances, newly-fallen snow.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Poet Thomas's beloved remembrance of his childhood holidays marks its 50th anniversary with a slate of jazzy new mixed-media paintings. Shaking things up for traditionalists, Raschka delivers an interpretation via stylized images about as far from typical cold, snowy Wales as one can get. Using a consistently sturdy black line the artist emphasizes warm family scenes with golden hues and some rich, spicy color. He renders outdoor settings-yes, the seaside and snow are still here-in appropriately cool, icy blue tones. Evocative of Thomas's era in its own way, Raschka reimagines the classic for a new audience. All ages. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo

For many people, Christmas just would not be Christmas without hearing this reminiscence of childhood. With Raschka's impressionistic illustrations, it takes on a fresh, new look. The torn paper and gouache drawings are in a variety of colors and tones to reflect the narrator's feelings as he describes the events. The fibers that appear on the edges of the torn paper give soft edges to these snippets of childhood remembrances. Although the waves are high and the snow is falling, there is something very inviting in the mix of blues and greens, and the way the buildings seem to come out to meet the reader in the illustration opposite the first page of text. Raschka effectively uses shades of red in the fire scenes with Mrs. Prothero, and warm shades of orange for a cozy Christmas-night scene. This abstract approach will be best appreciated by those who like to sense emotion in both the illustrations and the story. For them, it would be a wonderful gift. 2004 (orig. 1954), Candlewick Press, Ages 8 up.

School Library Journal

Gr 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 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews