Sumptuous gold and brilliant jewel tones are the palette for this visually arresting collection of traditional Christmas carols illustrated in Ringgold’s distinctive style. The King James Version of the Nativity story from the book of Luke serves as the volume’s introduction, followed by five carols using traditional words and multiple verses in white type on arched golden panels. Ringgold illustrates each carol separately, so the entire volume is not one continuous Nativity story, but rather multiple versions with many views of Jesus at different stages of his life. All of the Biblical characters are people of color, while the hosts of angels are of many ethnicities and ages. She places the characters silhouetted against plain backgrounds of vividly saturated color, highlighting their faces and their intricately patterned costumes. The title of each song is in large calligraphy in a different bright color, adding more visual enhancement to this beautifully designed volume. Includes a CD of the Harlem Boys Choir singing the carols in the same order as the text. (Picture book. 5-9)
