The Huron Carol

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Those who love Christmas will welcome this stunningly beautiful book. It
is, indeed, a worthy addition to all school, public, and personal
collections.

“Jesous Ahatonhia” or “Jesus Is Born” was written in 1641 in
the old Huron language by Jean de Brébeuf, a Jesuit priest. After his
martyrdom, the hymn was handed down from one generation to the next. In
1926, Jesse Edgar Middleton, a Canadian writer, wrote his version of the
carol, setting the Christmas story among the Hurons. It is this version
that we now know and love as “The Huron Carol,” and on which this
book is based.

Ian Wallace’s watercolour illustrations reflect the words of the
carol perfectly. His depictions of the icy darkness of “the moon of
wintertime,” the warmth of the lodge as the hunters and animals offer
their gifts to the Babe, and the radiant joy with which the birth is
celebrated are exceptional. Young readers will be intrigued by the birds
and animals, while adults will appreciate the sensitivity with which he
portrays the First Nations people.

The music and words of the carol along with the historical background
conclude the book. Highly recommended.