HARK! A CHRISTMAS SAMPLER

Fifteen carols plus two new songs with music by Yolen's son, Adam Stemple, who also did the arrangements; a baker's dozen of Yolen's appealing poems; nine legends, retold with disarming simplicity; comparative information on several kinds of Christmas traditions (food, plants, animals, carols, gift-giving); even a brief verse play—all appropriately introduced by the ninth chapter of Luke. DePaola provides his best: simple, decorative images with a delightful variety of rich color combinations, pleasing borders, and judiciously deployed white space. Like the happiest of Christmas mornings, an inviting treasure trove of the familiar blended with the new. (Nonfiction. 3-11)