Deck the Halls »

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Written in the sixteenth century, "Deck the Halls" has been a favorite holiday song for generations of Americans. Now see it brought to life like never before as it is set with classic, Americana images by the master of all things festive, Norman Rockwell, Children go sleigh riding and wait anxiously for the arrival of Santa Claus, families sing Christmas carols, and Santa gets ready for his big night in this Christmas-themed tribute to Norman Rockwell and the American culture so beautifully immortalized in his art. With a foreword by Norman Rockwell's grandson, John Rockwell, this book is a treasure that families will love to sing along with.

Children's Literature

In the introduction to this book, John Rockwell, grandson of Norman Rockwell, explains how the idea was conceived. The editors at Atheneum selected Rockwell paintings to accompany the words to the Christmas song "Deck the Halls." He states, "A major appeal of (Norman Rockwell's) images is based on his showing an intimate, familiar, and humorous look at common events." The carefully selected paintings indeed do all of that and are paired very well with phrases of the song. Smaller sizes of the illustrations and where they first appeared are found in the back. While most were magazine covers, some were for calendars, greeting cards, and advertisements. The only multicultural illustration is on page one with the title. Other pages show a jolly Santa, the high anticipation of Christmas, remembering the soldiers who are at war, and the warmth of family gatherings. This combination of a classic song with classic illustrations makes a lovely gift for a family to share (and even sing!) together. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo