Here comes a Merry Christmas by Justine Clarke, Arthur Baysting and Peter Dasent. Illus. by Heath McKenzie
Co authored by Arthur Basting and Peter Dassent, the text in this Christmas book is one by Justine Clarke, which can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKcUVaL7k7s (be warned it easily becomes an ear worm, but a nice one).
It is a zippy, easily learnt and absorbed song and music, so kids will readily sing along.
The newly published book contains the song as text, teamed with Heath McKenzie’s wonderful illustrations.
The text has all the icons of Christmas, including a star, Christmas tree, jungle bells, reindeer, angel on top of the tree and most importantly family and the love that surrounds them.
The family is waiting for Christmas after a long year, and see a bright new star in the sky. They know that Christmas means Santa is on his way with presents for them all. They bring a tree inside and decorate it with lights and streamers, ribbons and an angel on top. The whole family helps with this and McKenzie shows them getting all these things together from a box which has probably been untouched for twelve months, and cooking special treats for Christmas. They are all singing the many songs sung at Christmas, welcoming other members of their family to their house.
This is a wonderfully infectious song which we will all hear at Christmas, as it reiterates the basic tenets of Christmas, family love and togetherness.
McKenzie’s illustrations reprise these values of Christmas. Each page shows a loving inclusive family, doing things together: cooking, singing, laughing, welcoming visitors, watching the night sky, decorating the tree, supporting each other before the events of Christmas Day.
The faces are smiling and full of fun, and kids will recognise the tangle of the Christmas lights, the dusty box brought up from the cellar, the anticipation on every face. I loved the elegant endpaper with its deep, deep blue, a single star suspended above the earth and the moon, trails of cosmic dust sweeping across space. Its simplicity is outstanding and I can imagine many kids poring over this page, thinking lots of thoughts about life, family and Christmas.
Themes: Family, Love, Christmas, Music, Christmas tree.
Fran Knight