Great Joy
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Overview
“Newbery Medalist DiCamillo spins a tale of compassion and holiday warmth.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
It is just before Christmas when an organ grinder and monkey appear on the street outside Frances’s apartment. When it’s quiet she can hear their music, and when she looks out her window at midnight, she sees them sleeping outside. Finally the day of the Christmas pageant arrives, but when it’s Frances’s turn to speak, all she can think about is the organ grinder’s sad eyes — until a door opens just in time, and she finds the perfect words to share. With this luminous tale, Kate DiCamillo pairs with Bagram Ibatoulline to offer a timeless holiday gift.
Synopsis
“Newbery Medalist DiCamillo spins a tale of compassion and holiday warmth.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
It is just before Christmas when an organ grinder and monkey appear on the street outside Frances’s apartment. When it’s quiet she can hear their music, and when she looks out her window at midnight, she sees them sleeping outside. Finally the day of the Christmas pageant arrives, but when it’s Frances’s turn to speak, all she can think about is the organ grinder’s sad eyes — until a door opens just in time, and she finds the perfect words to share. With this luminous tale, Kate DiCamillo pairs with Bagram Ibatoulline to offer a timeless holiday gift.
Publishers Weekly
With spot-on storytelling rhythms and pacing, Newbery Medalist DiCamillo spins a tale of compassion and holiday warmth from a most unlikely image. Frances is so preoccupied by the hard-luck organ grinder and monkey she can see from her apartment window that it's hard to focus on the fast-approaching church Christmas pageant. It's not until the man and monkey make their way to the performance (at Frances's invitation) that her words, "Behold! I bring you tidings of great joy," make perfect sense to her. Ibatoulline's (The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane) WWII-era scenes have a subdued yet comforting glow, illuminated by streetlamps and stage lights. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationEditorials
Publishers Weekly
With spot-on storytelling rhythms and pacing, Newbery Medalist DiCamillo spins a tale of compassion and holiday warmth from a most unlikely image. Frances is so preoccupied by the hard-luck organ grinder and monkey she can see from her apartment window that it's hard to focus on the fast-approaching church Christmas pageant. It's not until the man and monkey make their way to the performance (at Frances's invitation) that her words, "Behold! I bring you tidings of great joy," make perfect sense to her. Ibatoulline's (The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane) WWII-era scenes have a subdued yet comforting glow, illuminated by streetlamps and stage lights. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationChildren's Literature -
This beautiful collaboration by a wordsmith and an accomplished artist lives up to every expectation. Simple and direct, the text is uncomplicated but speaks volumes about the responsibilities of people to open their hearts and doors to those less fortunate. Set in an unnamed city, the story appears to occur during WWII. There is a picture of a naval officer sitting on a shelf in the living room of the apartment shared by a mother and her daughter, Frances. The old-fashioned iron and ironing board shown in the illustrations, as well as the clothes and cars reinforce the impression of the 1940s. In this story, Frances sees an organ grinder and his little monkey on a nearby corner and questions her mother about them. Busily preparing Frances' angel costume for the Christmas pageant, her mother dismisses the questions without really thinking about the plight of the aging man and his little companion. Warmly dressed and wearing boots in the cold snow, Frances and her mother pass the man and his cup-holding monkey on the way to the church. Frances stops, puts a nickel in the cup and invites the old man to join "everyone" for the Christmas play. Struck with sadness for the old man, Frances is unable to deliver her line from the stage until she sees the doors swing open to admit the organ grinder and his monkey. "Behold I bring you tidings of Great Joy!" Frances finds her voice in the perfection of the moment and "because the words felt so right, Frances said them again. ‘Great Joy.'" The beautiful, luminous illustrations support the overall intent of the text with heartwarming visions of the possibilities of human interaction. In the last double-spread we see the old man and his monkeyjoining the congregation for refreshments and companionship. I suspect that the beautiful faces are based on people beloved of the illustrator—if not, they reflect that spirit. I also suspect that the old man and his monkey will have a warm place to spend the night from that shining moment on. This book will give any reader a warm glow and a thoughtful look at what "sharing" the season is really all about. Reviewer: Sheilah EganSchool Library Journal
K-Gr 2-Frances worries about the organ grinder and his monkey who stand across from her apartment all day, in all kinds of bad weather, and even sleep outside. On the day she is to perform in a Christmas play at her church, she impulsively invites him to come; it is only when he finally makes his appearance that she can call out her one line, "Behold! I bring you tidings of Great Joy!" The plotline is simplicity itself, and the text lacks any sentimentality or fluff, allowing the acrylic paintings, reminiscent of Norman Rockwell's work in their warmth and realism, to enrich and expand the story. Although no mention of a time period is made in the text, the clothing, the cars, and a portrait of a young man in uniform in Frances's apartment make clear that this is America during World War II. The organ grinder is entirely isolated on his street corner, despite being surrounded by Christmas bustle; it is Frances who shines a light on him and makes the tiny but vital gesture necessary to draw him into the life and light of the community. The last spread, unaccompanied by text, depicts the aftermath of the play, young actors and doting relatives and the monkey mingling and eating refreshments, while the organ grinder chats with Frances's mom. His troubles aren't over, perhaps, but for the moment, there is warmth, hope, and even great joy.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information