Ding Dong! Merrily on High.
Francesca Crespi.
Preschool - grade 4 / Ages 4 - 9. **** /4
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Artist Francesca Crespi's three dimensional illustrations have created a book that will be extremely popular in any library. It has sturdy board covers as well as heavy-weight pages, with pop-up figures and tabs that cause parts of the illustrations to move, coming to life quite realistically, and adding appropriate actions to the scenes.
Five well known carols are illustrated, and the first verse of each is given with musical accompaniment - the melody line of the music, and guitar chords as well. Young recorder or piano players will appreciate this opportunity to play Christmas carols. The songs chosen are: "O Christmas Tree", "Silent Night", "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", "We Three Kings of Orient Are", and "Ding Dong! Merrily on High".
Pop-ups of a Christmas tree, a host of angels, the three kings, shepherds and choirboys illustrate the carols. Clever tabs activate parts of the scenes. My favourite is the one in which two little choir boys toll a bell rope which causes a large bronze bell in the church tower to swing back and forth. Pure magic for a child, and even grownup children will adore this lovely book.
Highly recommended.
Joan Payzant is a former teacher and teacher-librarian of Dartmouth, N.S.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © 1998 the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - FEBRUARY 13, 1997.
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