Ingpen, winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, has created stunning illustrations for this historical look at how the beloved Christmas hymn came to be written. The text includes an overview of political and social conditions in Oberndorf, Austria, at the time the song was written, along with an introduction to the priest who wrote the lyrics and the organist who composed the music. The first performance of the hymn, by candlelight and with guitar accompaniment, is described, along with brief mention of the hymn being sung together by opposing forces during WWI. The main focus of the volume is Ingpen’s stellar paintings full of atmospheric, golden light and period details. Most of the illustrations extend across the spread, giving plenty of room to showcase his work. His haunting landscapes evoke the atmosphere of village life in early–19th-century Oberndorf, and his portraits give the two men who created the hymn personalities behind the famous music. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-10)
