A COBWEB CURTAIN: A Christmas Story
By
After a young shepherd, suspecting that Herod plans mischief towards the Christ Child, leads the holy family to a safe but bitterly cold cave, a spider veils the cave's opening with a web that not only keeps them warm but fools following soldiers into thinking that the cave must be unoccupied; the frosty web becomes ornament to the first Christmas tree. Koralek's retelling is easy and colloquial, with such logical, humorous inclusions as the shepherds thinking that the Wise Men's gifts weren't much use on a cold winter's night. Baynes' illustrations are outstanding in their meticulous composition and in deft draughtsmanship that recalls medieval illuminations, though some of the facial expressions are sentimentally modern. A nice edition of a popular story.