For this sixth day in our Christmas picture book advent, I bring yet another of the fabulous BabyLit books. I just cannot get enough of these! For a perfect, short Christmas reading, Adams and Oliver have taken Dickens’ iconic tale and created a colors primer. It is both a clever way to introduce little ones to a classic, and also a genuinely fun look at colors. Color books abound as any parent well knows, but this one will have you grinning and very well enjoying every read through. This is A Christmas Carol: A colors primer by Jennifer Adams, art by Alison Oliver, 2012.
Following suit with the rest of the BabyLit bunch, the text is minimal and the story stripped to its incredibly basic essence. In this tale, the main text is always only two words, a color and a noun, and almost all of them describe an article of clothing that a character is wearing. “Silver chains.” “Green wreath.” “Brown boots.” The opposite page contains a fun illustration interpreting a scene or character from the famous Carol. Some of the illustration pages even have a bit of extra text like nametags or a famous phrase. These books are pure genius in my opinion and A Christmas Carol does not disappoint.
I’m so in love with the concept of these books and the graphic nature of the illustrations is always enchanting. I love the bold colors and all the patterns sprinkled throughout to add that needed layer of depth here and there. Bravo Adams and Oliver for reinventing an oft-tired classic for the picture book crowd. “God bless us, every one!”
Follow along our book adventure at 25 Days of Christmas in 2013.
Three Books a Night 