DANNY AND THE KINGS
by Susan Cooper & illustrated by Jos. A. Smith
From the renowned author of The Dark is Rising series, a Christmas tale in which the Three Kings, in the guise of truck drivers, bring a Christmas tree to a poor family: a gentle story of fraternal affection and childlike faith, with the miraculous ending diminished not an iota by the trailer park and truckstop setting. Smith's realistic illustrations place the story squarely in the here and now, but he has a particular gift for painting the effects of different kinds of light—the flat harsh glare of a roadside cafe, the sharp-edged shadows cast by stage lights at a Christmas pageant, blinding headlights diffracted by thickly falling snow- -that also suggests the awe and wonder of the season. Something different, and very nice, for the Christmas collection. (Picture book. 5-9)