Sheep Among Wolves Publishing

Great Joy: Book Review

By Courtenay December 19, 2022 Book Reviews, Christmas Stories, Fiction, The Bookshelf

When an organ grinder and his monkey appear on the corner of Fifth and Vine, Frances is fascinated. But as Frances prepares for the church pageant, concern begins to grow in her mind. Can the great joy of Christmas ever reach these poor outcasts in the snow?Looks like December has room for one more library-find-review-post!

We’ve been highlighting worthwhile books from the public library throughout 2022, and it’s time to finish up with a review that has actually been waiting for just about a year—because it happens to be a Christmas themed picture book that I found at the end of 2021.

Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo is a story about reaching out with God’s love—and the joy, hope, and warmth that He came to earth to bring.

Book Details
  1. Title: Great Joy
  2. Author: Kate DiCamillo (Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline)
  3. Publisher: Candlewick Press
  4. Genre: Picture Book
  5. Number of Pages: 30
  6. Theme: Christmas
  7. Age Range: 5+
  8. Source: Amazon
Summary
When an organ grinder and his monkey appear on the corner of Fifth and Vine, Frances is fascinated. But as Frances prepares for the church pageant, concern begins to grow in her mind. Can the great joy of Christmas ever reach these poor outcasts in the snow?

When an organ grinder and his monkey appear on the corner of Fifth and Vine, Frances is fascinated. But as Frances prepares for the church pageant, concern begins to grow in her mind. Where do the organ grinder and his monkey go at night? Why are they all alone in the world? Can the great joy of Christmas ever reach these poor outcasts in the snow?

Bagram Ibatoulline’s exquisite illustrations capture the charm and flavour of a 1950’s Christmas in this simply-told tale of loneliness, compassion, and Great Joy.

 

 

SAW Rating System—72/100

For an explanation of the SAW rating system, see our introductory post.

Great Qualities—34/50

Plot Development—8/10

Character Development—5/10

Command of Language/Quality of Illustrations—8/10

Impact of the book—7/10

Originality—6/10

Good Qualities—38/50

Innocence regarding evil—8/10

Active promotion of good—9/10

Level of spiritual challenge—8/10

Healthy view of life—7/10

Honouring God—6/10

Red Flags
  1. Romance and morality

No issues.

  1. Disturbing content

Little girl keeps herself awake at night, so that she can peek out the window and discover whether the organ grinder and his monkey are still there. She finds that they have no home and sleep on the street in the cold.

  1. Language

No issues.

  1. Alcohol and drug use (includes tobacco)

Final illustration depicts several adults drinking something red from clear glass mugs. The beverage is not identified as alcohol, and seems to have been poured from a juice pitcher at the back of the room.

  1. Spiritual content

No issues

  1. Family roles and behavior

Child’s sympathy for organ grinder comes somewhat in opposition to her mother’s skepticism.

  1. Mature subject matter

Interaction between a little girl and a homeless stranger plays a significant role in the story. While her accepting and compassionate attitude comes as an appropriate challenge to complacency, children may need some safety guidelines pointed out while reading this story.

Reading Great Joy

I have to admit, my favourite part of this lovely picture book was the totally authentic vintage feel. As an historical costume enthusiast, I just loved the way the period was re-created by the illustrations.

There is also an interesting dynamic between the text and the pictures, with the narrative at times leaving information unstated, while the illustrations fill in a key piece of the story.

This story was another impulse-grab from my public library shelves. If you happen to find it on yours, don’t forget to check it out!

Are you interested in more Christmas recommendations from SAW Publishing? See our previous post:

When the mail arrives in a rural English village, Aunt Bessie’s nephews and nieces are faced with a dismaying surprise. This FREE Christmas story from the 1870’s will challenge the way you and your children look at the written Word of God.

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