Publisher's Weekly Review
In this rhythmic Christmas ballad, a good king looks out of his castle and sees a poor man gathering fuel. ``Yonder peasant, who is he?'' he asks his page. The king makes his way through the snow, loaded with gifts, to share his wealth with the poor man. Henterly's majestic illustrations, in opulent colors, convey the difficulties of the peasant's search for fuel as well as the generous measures of the king. The carol's delicate text is left intact, and the melody appears on the end page; some readers may wish that further piano or guitar accompaniment also had been included. All ages. (September) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Attractive woodcuts, painted in earth tones and an icy blue, illustrate the complete lyrics of the well-known Christmas carol, which are hand-lettered in a bold, calligraphic style. At the end of the book are brief biographies of Wenceslas and the nineteenth-century author of the song. Music included. From HORN BOOK 1994, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Ages 6-9. Although not as well conceived as the 1990 version of the carol illustrated by John Wallner, this oversize offering is marked by Manson's very handsome artwork. His woodcuts, done primarily in woodsy browns and midnight blues, are accented by decorative borders and have a real medieval feeling. In keeping with the style of the pictures, the text, in big black letters, has a rough-hewn look, but it is difficult to read, the words occasionally seeming to run together. For those wishing to play the carol, the music is appended, and a final page introduces the real Wenceslas, Duke of Bohemia. (Reviewed September 15, 1994)1558583211Ilene Cooper