
Two gorgeous books for Christmas from an artist who has been working on children's books since the 1960s. Probably most famous for his work with Helen Nicolls on the Meg & Mog books, for these two lovely gift books he uses a silhouette style which he first used to great acclaim in illustrations of Joan Aiken's stories. According to his biography on the Puffin Books site, this technique draws upon his memories of traditional European papercuts, which he recalled from his childhood in Poland before moving to the UK when he was 10.
The first of these is The First Christmas a new (2006) edition of a book first published in 1984, an illustrated version of the Christmas Story. It's a lovely, durable hardback copy that's special but also sturdy enough for a small-ish child to look at on their own. The text is taken from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, according to the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible. There's no attempt here to retell the story, rather the words which are among the deepest engraved on the English language are presented as they are with all their familiar grace. This allows Pienkowski to develop the text through the illustrations, rather than by re-framing the story in new language.There are undoubtedly some who are wary of the religious side of Christmas, as a weary battle is played out each year it seems, waged by Christians determined to reclaim the 'real' Christmas as theirs. Against this, I'd suggest that the King James Bible is more than just a text for Christians: the language and stories are so deeply embedded in the English language that it is a piece of our culture that belongs to all of us, whatever we believe. But then having got one foot on a soapbox here, I'll not clamber on top, as most people are sensible enough to share all kinds of stories with their children without worrying themselves about religious culture wars.
So, back to the book. One of the ways in which the text and illustrations complement each other is in the dark undercurrents which run through both. This seems to have prompted one of the reviewers on a well-known internet bookshop to advise against its suitability for children. This is a shame and rather ignores the long tradition of acknowledging the uncomfortable parts of the story, whether that is a picture showing the killing of the Bethlehem children, the Coventry Carol's lament or the settings of Vox in Rama, Rachel's lament for her children – the Old Testament archetype of the New Testament story.
King Herod is the source of this darkness from the first page, in which an infernal glow sets off the silhouette of a prisoner being dragged into the castle to join others suffering in Herod's dungeons. The innocence of the Holy Family, and the simplicity of the shepherds is the contrast to the king's plots, which reach their awful end in an effective page showing the soldiers at their work against a thorny bramble, while storms and bats fill the sky as Herod sends out his men.
The main silhouettes, of which the arrival in Bethlehem is a particularly good example (above right), are impressive enough. What are equally striking are the floral details which connect the text with the illustrated page. Mary at the Annunciation gets a suitable rose, the brambles accompany the slaughter of the Innocents, and holly decorates the page showing the Nativity. I'm sure there are sloes when the angel announces the birth to the shepherds.
It's a lovely book and a great addition to any Christmas library.
It's at Blackwells for £10.99 and at Amazon for £7.19.
The second Pienkowski book we've got hold of for this Christmas is a re-telling of Nut Cracker, this one a newer book, published last year. It's a story set on Christmas Day and most familiar from Tchaikovsky's ballet (1891-2). The original story on which both are based is The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, written by ETA Hoffman in 1816. The story here has been translated from the German by David Walser, clearly, and is accompanied by a handful of lovely illustrations. If you don't know it, the plot is utterly insane – I don't think I'd realised quite how endearingly mad the story was before reading this book. The basic narrative is simple enough, it's the trappings that are so memorable, from the grotesque Mouse King to Nut Cracker himself. The whole thing occupies a pleasingly shadowy borderland between dream and reality.This is a sumptuous gift edition using white silhouettes, gorgeous colourful backgrounds, and culminating in a delicate papercut scene for its final page. It's definitely something to be shared with your children, rather than abandoned to them, unless you have the most careful children in the world. It's also longer than The First Christmas, with a story that will either be a long read in one sitting, or can be divided up into shorter sections, for an older child, probably from about 5-7 years old.
It's at Blackwells for £17.99 and at Amazon for £12.25.
**Copyright note**
The images are taken from the two books reviewed here. They have been included as 'fair use' for the purpose of education and discussion. If, as the copyright owner, you object to them being used here, please get in touch and I'll remove them.











Goodness, I haven't got to drink yet. We never seemed to get round to cocktails this year, sadly. A couple of