A Child’s Christmas in Wales

Everyone has his or her own childhood memories of special holidays, and yet there is something about Dylan Thomas’s lyrical prose poem memory of his own childhood Christmas that will speak to any fortunate enough to read it. It has become a classic for the holiday season. With lines like “Years and years and years ago, when I was a boy, when there were wolves in Wales, and birds the colour of red-flannel petticoats whisked past the harp-shaped hills,” readers will be transported to another time and place, yet one that will evoke childhood memories of one’s own. It is not so much a story as a collection of little stories loosely connected by the season. This lovely little memoir is also a terrific way to introduce readers to Dylan Thomas’s work. All this said, the reason to choose this edition rather than any others, or even rather than downloading the public-domain work from the internet, is the charming artwork. The illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman, winner of the prestigious 1985 Caldecott Medal for picture book illustration, will enchant readers with their old-fashioned look and charming details. This is a perfect holiday gift.