A Christmas Carol: With A Christmas Tree

Charles Dickens

Walker Books Australia, 2008 - Children's stories - 192 pages

"A Christmas Carol & A Christmas Tree is a new edition of the two classic Christmas stories by Charles Dickens. The first story, A Christmas Carol, is a morality tale about Ebenezer Scrooge, an old contemptuous, penny-pinching man who undergoes a journey of redemption on Christmas Eve. He is visited by the ghost of his dead business partner, Jacob Marley, who warns him to change his miserly ways and tells him to expect three spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. Frightened by the visions they show him, he emerges on Christmas morning with a warm heart and good tidings for all. The second story, A Christmas Tree, is about an old man whose memories are stirred as he reminisces about the toys and gifts that have decorated his Christmas tree over the years. The book is illustrated by renowned Australian children's book author & illustrator Robert Ingpen."--Provided by publisher.

About the author

Charles Dickens, perhaps the best British novelist of the Victorian era, was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England on February 7, 1812. His happy early childhood was interrupted when his father was sent to debtors' prison, and young Dickens had to go to work in a factory at age twelve. Later, he took jobs as an office boy and journalist before publishing essays and stories in the 1830s. His first novel, The Pickwick Papers, made him a famous and popular author at the age of twenty-five. Subsequent works were published serially in periodicals and cemented his reputation as a master of colorful characterization, and as a harsh critic of social evils and corrupt institutions. His many books include Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Great Expectations, Little Dorrit, A Christmas Carol, and A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens married Catherine Hogarth in 1836, and the couple had nine children before separating in 1858 when he began a long affair with Ellen Ternan, a young actress. Despite the scandal, Dickens remained a public figure, appearing often to read his fiction. He died in 1870, leaving his final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, unfinished. Robert R. Ingpen was born in Geelong, Australia on October 13, 1936. He began studying illustration and book design at The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He has written and/or illustrated more than 100 books including versions of The Wind in the Willows, The Jungle Book, A Christmas Carol, and Treasure Island. In 1986, he was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen medal for his contribution to children's literature.

Bibliographic information

• Title: A Christmas Carol: With A Christmas Tree
• Author: Charles Dickens
• Illustrated by: Robert Ingpen
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Walker Books Australia, 2008
• ISBN: 1921150637, 9781921150630
• Length: 192 pages