A Christmas Carol: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas

Purists may object to this careful abridgement of the holiday classic, aimed at young readers who may not have someone around to read the original out loud. Mayer has retained much of the language of Dickens's work, making sensitive cuts in the text and adding lavish paintings of 19th century England. The charactersmice, rabbits, a reptilian Ghost of Christmas Yet to Comewill draw the youngest pre-Dickensian into the story. The gloomy mood of Scrooge's Christmas Eve gives way to warm, welcoming tints the morning after he is visited by the three Spirits and has learned his lesson. It's a charming alternative to most of the TV adaptations that appear throughout December. (All ages