The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Harris, John

Jingle Bells: How the Holiday Classic Came to Be

32 pp. | Peachtree | October, 2011 | Trade ISBN 978-1-56145-590-4 $16.95

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Adam Gustavson. Based on a true story, Harris's brisk text uses invented conversation to embellish the tale of songsmith John Lorn Pierpont. In 1850s Savannah, Georgia, the northern-born choir director longs for a snowy winter. Gustavson's accomplished paintings, realistic yet folksy, reveal small dramas not in the text. An author's note with photos at the end provides more information.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011