The Gift of the Magi (Illustrated by Sonja Danowski)

by O. Henry, Sonja Danowski (Illustrator)

Overview

This classic holiday story about true love, irony, and gift-giving makes a sophisticated gift for middle grade readers —give to boys and girls ages 9 - 12 years old.

Della and Jim love each other very much but have no money for getting Christmas gifts for one another. But when Della decides to make a great sacrifice that will give her enough money to buy the present Jim deserves, she soon discovers that that her selfless act may have been for naught. This is a new, richly illustrated interpretation of the well-loved, poignant short story by O. Henry.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789888240579
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	11/01/2013
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 12.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	8 - 10 Years

About the Author

O. Henry was the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter. His short stories are known for his wit, wordplay, and twist endings. Sonja Danowski is an award-winning artist and illustrator who has had exhibits in China, Germany, Korea, Poland, and Portugal.

Editorial Reviews

German artist Sonja Danowski gives a faded, almost grubby-looking elegance to her artwork for O. Henry's 1906 tale of Yuletide sacrifice….Her sepia-toned illustrations set in the late 19th century suit the story exactly, evoking the poverty of the devoted young wife and …. In concert with the pictures, the arch tone and surprise ending of O. Henry's original story make for excellent delivery aloud to children age 8 and older.”—Wall Street Journal

 


"One of my favorite stories about love, sacrifice, and generosity is O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi. Beautifully illustrated by Sonja Danowski, this traditional story of giving a gift to your most precious loved one... [is] filled with important messages for any time of year." —Jenny Williams, geekdad.com

From the Publisher

2013-10-02
The sentimental short story is presented in an elegant edition with moody illustrations reminiscent of antique sepia photographs. The story, first published as a book in 1906, is rather flowery and wordy, with old-fashioned constructions such as "the silent imputation of parsimony." The plot revolves around a young couple, Della and Jim, who live a Spartan life in their tiny flat. Each wants to buy a special Christmas gift for the other, but there is only a little money for presents. Della sells her beautiful, knee-length hair to buy a watch chain for Jim's prized pocket watch, but at the same time, Jim sells his watch to buy a set of hair combs for Della. They realize that their love for each other is their real gift that they must treasure. The oversized, full-page illustrations are in muted shades of browns and grays, with the only touch of color in Della's muted, rose-colored blouse and complementary roses in the Art Nouveau style decorating each page of text. Each rose is larger than the one preceding, and the stylized flowers are repeated in elegant endpapers printed with twining roses and vines. Though the story is long and of another era, Henry's touching account of young love at Christmas has an enduring appeal. (Picture book. 10 & up)

Kirkus Reviews