Children of God

Charles Dickens. A Christmas carol. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. London: Heinemann, 1972.

Although not written specifically for children, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas carol has long been considered a worthy moral story for the perusal of younger folk, with its simple emphasis on Scrooge’s choice between a benevolent life and a selfish one. Dickens believed a deeply-felt Christmas story with themes of poverty and social injustice was a more effective way of reaching a wide audience than through polemical pamphlets and essays. A Christmas carol can be read as a simple morality tale composed with pathos and an underlying theme of redemption.

First written in 1843, A Christmas carol has been subsequently republished in a number of notable child-friendly illustrated editions. The edition illustrated by Arthur Rackham first appeared in 1915 and has since been frequently reprinted.

Charles Dickens. A Christmas carol. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. London: Heinemann, 1972.
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Charles Dickens. A Christmas carol. Illustrated by Michael Foreman. London: Victor Gollancz, 1983.

A late twentieth century child-friendly edition of A Christmas carol illustrated by Michael Foreman.

Charles Dickens. A Christmas carol. Illustrated by Michael Foreman. London: Victor Gollancz, 1983.
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Charles Dickens. A Christmas carol. Illustrated by Michael Cole. Woodbury, N.Y.: Barron's, 1985.

A late twentieth century child-friendly edition of A Christmas carol illustrated by Michael Cole, featuring handwritten dialogue in the style of cartoons of Dickens’ time.

Charles Dickens. A Christmas carol. Illustrated by Michael Cole. Woodbury, N.Y.: Barron's, 1985.
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