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A review by karlamcclatchey
Bah! Humbug! by Tony Ross, Michael Rosen
4.0
3.5 / 5 snowflakes for the audiobook❄
4 / 5 for the hardcopy
No story portrays the essence of Christmas better than Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. This tale by Michael Rosen is a retelling of the Dickens one, aimed at a younger audience. Perfect for introducing your 7 to 10 year olds to the text, this retelling follows Harry Gruber as he aims to take a leading part in his school production of the play. As Harry practices his part, the readers are introduced to excerpts from the screenplay. Alongside Scrooge's second chance at redemption, we are shown Harry's work obsessed father, who is never without his mobile phone in his clutches. As Harry prepares to take to the stage, he worries his dad will choose work over watching his performance. Will his dad get caught up in the message of Christmas cheer and put his family first, or get caught up at work. I adored this story, which I listened to from a Bolinda audiobook from the library. I even purchased a copy to place in my daughter's Christmas stocking. Why 3.5 stars? For me, as an adult, the 5 stars belongs to the original. Michael Rosen's adaptation for children deserves a 4. However, the audiobook was a little disappointing for me, as it had an American accent. Nothing against American accents, but for me personally I prefer the accents to reflect the origins and Dickens will always be in my mind as C19th Victorian London and Michael Rosen is also based in London. Another reason to choose the book over the audiobook on this occasion is the illustrations. Tony Ross provides the most fantastic images to accompany the story #bahhumbug #michaelrosen #tonyross #bolindaaudio #librariesni
4 / 5 for the hardcopy
No story portrays the essence of Christmas better than Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. This tale by Michael Rosen is a retelling of the Dickens one, aimed at a younger audience. Perfect for introducing your 7 to 10 year olds to the text, this retelling follows Harry Gruber as he aims to take a leading part in his school production of the play. As Harry practices his part, the readers are introduced to excerpts from the screenplay. Alongside Scrooge's second chance at redemption, we are shown Harry's work obsessed father, who is never without his mobile phone in his clutches. As Harry prepares to take to the stage, he worries his dad will choose work over watching his performance. Will his dad get caught up in the message of Christmas cheer and put his family first, or get caught up at work. I adored this story, which I listened to from a Bolinda audiobook from the library. I even purchased a copy to place in my daughter's Christmas stocking. Why 3.5 stars? For me, as an adult, the 5 stars belongs to the original. Michael Rosen's adaptation for children deserves a 4. However, the audiobook was a little disappointing for me, as it had an American accent. Nothing against American accents, but for me personally I prefer the accents to reflect the origins and Dickens will always be in my mind as C19th Victorian London and Michael Rosen is also based in London. Another reason to choose the book over the audiobook on this occasion is the illustrations. Tony Ross provides the most fantastic images to accompany the story #bahhumbug #michaelrosen #tonyross #bolindaaudio #librariesni