Christmas and Kids

First: A classic Tomie de Paola book is sensationally beautiful. The use of color is not restrained. The characters are well-defined; the number of lines seems to be exactly correct. There is a sense of authority and pleasure.

Second: De Paola does some of his best work when he uses the legend format. In a legend, some kind of biological or meteorological phenomenon is linked with a story. We have arachnids because Arachne was an insensitive weaver. We have winter because Hades interfered with Demeter and Persephone.

De Paola explains the existence of poinsettias through the tale of a little girl, Lucida, who needs a present for the Jesus doll in a local parade. She can't offer a blanket, because her mom is sick and wool gets tangled too easily. Lucida is told that any gift is wonderful if it comes from her heart; she presents weeds, because that's what she can manage. Because of Lucida's sincerity, the weeds become star-tipped; they become poinsettias.

As a student of Sendak and Jean de Brunhoff, de Paola knows how to make use of a "page break." The dramatic debut of the poinsettia is a major highlight in his Christmas legend. It's almost as if de Paola *reproduces* the magic--using just ink and a piece of paper.

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