Joseph Mohr (1792–1848)

Silent Night, Holy Night, illustrated by Maja Dusíková

The words of the classic Christmas carol, Silent Night - Stille Nacht in the original German - are paired with the luminous artwork of Slovakian illustrator Maja Dusíková in this beautiful holiday picture-book. A brief note from the illustrator lays out the history of the carol - written on Christmas Eve in 1818, by Father Joseph Mohr, the priest of Oberndorf, Austria, and set to music by church organist Franz Gruber - while the main body of the book is given over to the beautiful words of this song, and the lovely illustrations of Dusíková...

Originally published in Switzerland as Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, this is the third picture-book presentation of this carol that I have read, following upon the ones done by Susan Jeffers and Lara Hawthorne. All told, I think I prefer this version done by Dusíková, whose artwork I have also enjoyed in Dorothea Lachner's The Gift from Saint Nicholas and Selma Lagerlöf's What the Shepherd Saw, both of which are also Christmas books. I loved the use of color and of light here, and the way the setting shifted from Austria to the Holy Land, and then back again. Recommended to anyone seeking picture-book presentations of this carol, as well as to those who are, like me, admirers of Dusíková's work.… (more)

With a somber beginning and a main character with a ton of issues, this story pulled me in hoping things would get better. A title like ‘Silent Night’ is a pretty good indication, but it was a close call. And with Hunter ready to commit suicide right before Christmas it is a good thing that Donte comes along, even though he does hit Hunter with his car. But this almost-catastrophe sets in motion a series of events that does not just involve Hunter, Donte, and a possible friendship and more between the two of them, instead there are some secrets in Hunter’s past that also need to be dealt with. It makes this an exciting story with lots of surprises and some very sweet moments- in short, great holiday reading.

Hunter has been alone most of his life, abandoned at birth to an orphanage and foster care. While he has survived, and even managed to get a job and hold his head above water for a short time, the underlying loneliness and lack of a future get to him and make him attempt to end his life. He can’t believe the man who ends up rescuing him is serious about helping him back on his own two feet, but the more time they spend together and the closer they get, the surer Hunter is that maybe they are meant to be together, as unlikely as it seems at first.

Donte has never had to fight for survival or worry where his next meal would come from. But he is an only child, his parents only worry about their jobs and social standing, and other than a few friends from boarding school, Donte is pretty much alone. He is a sucker for strays, but hitting Hunter and then to find out he has no one brings out new levels of protectiveness in Donte. He finds out exactly who Hunter is pretty early, but keeps that a secret because he thinks Hunter is not ready to hear the truth. A recipe for disaster if I’ve ever heard one… luckily this is a story with plenty of Christmas magic!

Hunter and Donte go from being strangers to friends to gradually exploring more. This is often a difficult balance to find, but with both men being careful and lots of advice from friends, they manage. The secret in Hunter’s past also helps to alleviate the difference in power and social standing, but above all it’s both men’s feelings that end up as a major equalizer. I loved that sweet touch and the definite “knight in shining armor” and “Christmas magic” aspect of this fairy-tale-like story.

If you like downtrodden men being rescued by a wealthy guy, if you believe that everyone deserves a future and love, and if you’re looking for a read that is sweet, full of pleasant surprises, and has two adorable main characters, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by MLR Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (more)

Silent Night, illustrated by Susan Jeffers.

The classic Christmas carol Silent Night - "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht" in the original, it was composed by an Austrian priest named Joseph Mohr, set to music by local schoolmaster and oragnist Franz Xaver Gruber, and first performed in Oberndorf bei Salzburg in 1818 - is used as the text for this lovely holiday book, with accompanying artwork by Susan Jeffers. Each two-page spread features a sentence or two, with full-page color illustrations depicting the scene being mentioned in the text. The result is a gentle, contemplative Nativity story that makes for a wonderfully quiet reading experience.

Reissued in 2003 with new cover art, Susan Jeffers' interpretation of this beloved carol was first published in 1984, and it is this earlier edition that I read. With such a simple text, there isn't much of a "story," but the artwork fills in the blanks, and when read while listening to a recording of the carol - I chose a performance done by The Deller Consort, myself - the experience is quite evocative. I was reminded of candle-lit Christmas Eve carol services I have attended, over the years. Although Jeffers, who has done quite a few well-received fairy-tale retellings as well, is not one of my very favorite illustrators, I do enjoy her work, and this was no exception. The scenes with the angels were particularly well done, making it no surprise that they ended up on the cover of the new edition.… (more)