Grace at Christmas

What a treat it is to see Grace’s buoyant smile beaming confidently from a book jacket once more. Grace’s wit, talent, and determination are all there expressing the fully rounded character we have come to know in the series of books that began with Amazing Grace. The new illustrators have done a fantastic job in giving a fresh look to the pictures while keeping to the original feel of Caroline Binch’s work. They have retained the tradition of vividly coloured realism with powerful characterisations seamlessly and this is quite a feat. The blending is done in the writing too, of course. It’s not easy to maintain continuity with a character after very long breaks, but Mary Hoffman makes it seem that way with her deft touch and consummate skill.

Multilayered, yet simply written, Hoffman confronts the recurring sadness of split families at Christmas, that pain which despite the passage of time and desire to minimize the impact can be just as powerful as when it first occurred. Linking this with the Christmas tradition of welcoming strangers, Grace, her family and visitors act out the Christmas story, displaying a joyful sense of fun and closeness that cleverly underscore the true meaning of Christmas. But this is not all. Hoffman also manages to bring back the ballerina who inspired Grace in her first book, and so once again the sense of beauty, achievement and (not surprisingly) ‘grace’ is celebrated.

This is a lovely story about inclusiveness, which would make a great Christmas present.