Silent Night

by Lara Hawthorne

Overview

"A standout among books to share on Christmas Eve."—Kirkus Reviews

"The Christmas Choir series launches with this reverent and accessible adaptation of a favorite carol."—Publishers Weekly

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright

Celebrate the magic of Christmas with this beautifully illustrated book, based on the world's best-loved carol. Rediscover the Nativity Story in all its glory—from quaking shepherds to heaven-sent angels—as the song lyrics are brought to life on every spread. The world’s diversity is reflected in a cast of characters with a range of skin tones. A gorgeous book for all the family to share during the festive season.

Part of "The Christmas Choir", a series of festive, lovingly illustrated lyric books. See also The Twelve Days of Christmas​​.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780711298026
Publisher:	Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Publication date:	10/01/2024
Series:	Christmas Choir Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.08(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Lara Hawthorne is an illustrator based in Bristol, UK. After graduating from Falmouth University in 2013 where she studied illustration, she has had work shortlisted for the Lowry Children’s Book Award and has written and illustrated Herberto, a picture book published in Portugal, Brazil, Slovenia, France and South Korea. Her other books include The King of Christmas, Carol Ann Duffy’s 2016 Christmas poem, published by Picador, and The Night Flower, published by Big Picture Press. As well as focusing on narrative work, Lara also sells a variety of prints, notebooks and cards. Through Betty & Dupree, her prints are distributed to shops throughout the UK and internationally.

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/24/2018
The Christmas Choir series launches with this reverent and accessible adaptation of a favorite carol. Hawthorne (The Night Flower) pairs the song’s familiar lyrics with stylized gouache images that chronicle the Nativity. In her rendition, the drama unfolds under a black, star-speckled night sky above a hilly Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary, two brown-skinned travelers, take shelter in the spare-looking stable where their “holy infant” is born. All the key characters make an appearance—angels, shepherds, magi, and a menagerie of gentle animals. Trees and leaves accent the scenes, as do bright splashes of color from the hillside buildings, the kings’ rich garments, and vibrant blankets that swaddle. The book concludes with a note about the song’s origin and a page of lyrics. Ages 3–6. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

‘Beautifully illustrated story of the nativity told through the lyrics of the much-loved carols.’ —Bambino goodies

'Lara Hawthorne brings each line to life with joyful illustrations...each page bursts with the good news story...it is beautiful and vibrant'—Church Times

'A stylish reinvention of the nativity story...unique and beautifully detailed'—PictureBookBlogger

'The collage illustrations speak so loudly to the wonder of the season of Christ's birth... Beautiful!'—Netgalley reviewer

From the Publisher

★ 2018-08-20

Stunning illustrations bring new life to a well-loved Christmas carol.

Using only the familiar carol's lyrics as the text, the story of the Nativity is gorgeously brought to life. Mary and Joseph journey through the hills of Galilee on their way to Bethlehem. Hawthorne boldly paints the night sky black, against which a mosaic of colors stands out like stained glass. Importantly, and perhaps just as boldly, she depicts the Holy Family as dark-skinned. In a Middle Eastern style of portraiture that finds echoes in early Christian art, the geometric, quiltlike design in gouache evokes the serenity of the words. One can picture a family quietly singing this book aloud, allowing the eye to linger on images of twinkling stars, angels, pomegranate trees, and animals spilled across perfectly paced pages. The characters are portrayed with a variety of brown skin tones, but the darkest belong to Mary and Jesus. On the last spread, as the sky becomes a deep blue, the perspective pulls back to reveal the stable in the full hillside setting. With the moon and stars above, the words "Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace" bring the story to a close. The full text of the carol is provided at end along with information about its Austrian origins.

A standout among books to share on Christmas Eve. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews