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


The Providence Journal-Bulletin, Carol McCabe, on the Fritz Eichenberg illustrations in the New Directions edition
Here are the uncles 'trying our their new cigars, holding them our judiciously at arms' length, returning them to their mouths, coughing, then holding them out again as if waiting for the explosion.' Here, too, Mr. And Mrs. Prothero and the aunts and the horrible-whiskered cats.


Dave Wood, Minenapolis Star Tribune
Top on my list is Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales, a wonderfully poetic evocation of the Christmases of Thomas's youth. I read it to every college English class I ever taught, just before the holiday break. Former students tell me that they liked it so much they continue to read it to their families.


The Argus
A finer work of art-more human, more perspicacious, more touching, more wise than Dickens's A Christmas Carol, it should become as much a tradition of Christmas as the wreath on the door and the tree in the window.


The New York Times
The language is enchanting and the poetry shines with an unearthly radiance.


The Sacramento Bee, on the New Directions edition
There are few books more worth the price.


Harper's
An unforgettable experience. Surely this ranks among the great experiences of the language.


Booklist, Starred Review
[New Directions's edition is] a worthy match of art and story, sure to become a favorite edition each holiday season.


Booklist, Starred Review
[New Directions's edition is] a worthy match of art and story, sure to become a favorite edition each holiday season.


Book Description
A holiday classic in an elegant New Directions edition. With lovely poetic lilt, this simple tale captures the child-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-its wonder and its snowball mischief. This elegant and beautifully designed New Directions edition of Thomas's holiday classic features evocative woodcut illustrations by the noted artist Fritz Eichenberg.


Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German


The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
A prose recollection by Dylan Thomas, published posthumously in 1955. A Child's Christmas in Wales is a lyrical, minutely remembered evocation of the Christmas season, as perceived by a happy child. The work captures all aspects of the season: the weather, the village activities, the villagers, the sights and sounds, the purchasing and opening of gifts, and the preparation and enjoyment of food and drink for the holiday.


Card catalog description
A Welsh poet recalls the celebration of Christmas in Wales and the feelings it evoked in him as a child.


About the Author
Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales on 27 October 1914. In 1934 his first book of poetry, Eighteen Poems appeared, followed by Twenty-five Poems in 1936, Deaths and Entrances in 1946 and in 1952 his final volume, Collected Poems. He also published many short stories, wrote film scripts, broadcast stories and talks, did a series of lecture tours in the United States and wrote Under Milk Wood, the radio play. During his fourth lecture tour of the United States in 1953, a few days after his 39th birthday, he collapsed in his New York hotel and died on November 9th at St. Vincent's Hospital. His body was sent back to Laugharne, Wales, where a simple wooden cross marks his grave. In June 1994, his wife, Caitlin Thomas, died in Italy, where she had spent most of the years of her life after the death of Dylan Thomas. Her body is buried next to his.

ANNOTATION

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

FROM THE PUBLISHER

By popular demand, the reissue of the classic little blue edition (with envelope) of the great Christmas classic.For over half a century Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales has enchanted both young and old and is now a traditional gift of the holiday season. Set in a small Welsh town on Christmas Day, this gem of lyric prose has become a modern classic. With gentle humor the simple story captures a child's eye view, and an adult's fond remembrance, of a boy's magical time of presents, good things to eat, aunts and uncles, the frozen sea, childhood friends, and, in the best of circumstances, newly-fallen snow—its wonder, silence and snowball mischief. With this reissue, New Directions returns to the most popular format A Child's Christmas in Wales—a booklet size that can be mailed in an accompanying envelope. Often compared with Dickens as "the twentieth century's A Christmas Carol," A Child's Christmas in Wales is now fast approaching a million copies sold.

About the Author:: Most famous for his poetry, Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) also wrote captivating short-stories, a novella, several screenplays and radio plays, as well as his delightful stage play, Under Milk Wood—all infused with his passion for the English language and his enduring love of Wales.

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.

Library Journal