Tomie dePaola's Christmas

Unlike dePaola's recent An Early American Christmas, which shows the dawn of holiday jubilance in a New England village, this book portrays the more serene aspects of Christmas, of reverance and religious imagery. The selections are mostly familiar""O, Come All Ye Faithful,'' ``I Saw Three Ships,'' ``Good King Wenceslas,'' ``Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella!''with some lesser-known songs as well: ``The Cherry Tree Carol'' and `` 'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime.'' But well-known or not, the carols are lovingly placed among pictures with varied settings: Victorian and biblical, some on gatefold pages. DePaola's intense huesslate blues, rich burgundies and mossy greensreflect the way colors show up in a wintry background. His Christmas spirit, here of subdued joy, is infectious. All ages. (October)