The traditional Christmas carol of The Friendly Beasts - which combines a twelfth century French melody known as Orientis Partibus, with English lyrics written by Robert Davis in the 1920s - is given the picture-book treatment by Helen Ward, and the result is a holiday title that is as visually stunning as it is textually engaging. "IN A DARKENING SKY / a star shone bright / Over Bethlehem one winter's night. / Over the roofs of the sleeping town, / On a humble stable / the star shone down" begins The Animals' Christmas Carol, which pairs an immensely readable text, in rhyming verse, with gorgeous illustrations that capture the beauty of each creature being depicted.

This is a book that succeeds on every level - typographically, textually, illustratively, narratively, even physically! As an object, it is large - almost oversized - and is a pleasure to hold. The typeface varies in size, as does the capitalization scheme, both lending emphasis to certain segments of text. The text itself is given in rhyming verse, and reads well, grabbing the reader and/or listener's attention, and never letting go. The story - in which the animals large and small each proffer their gift to the newborn Christ child - is poignant, a reminder that both humble and great have found meaning in this figure, and his story. Finally, the artwork is breathtaking, with each animal depicted in loving detail, often against a metallic gold background.

The overall effect of all of this is simply stunning! This is just a wonderful Christmas book, highly recommended to anyone looking for beautiful retellings of the Nativity story. ( )