A Christmas Carol: The Night That Changed the Life of Eliza Scrooge

October 1, 2012

Gr 6 Up-Instead of Ebenezer, Elizabeth (Eliza) Scrooge says, "Bah Humbug!" in this graphic-novel adaptation of the classic tale. Another twist is a brother named Francis, instead of Fan, as the older Scrooge sibling, and Eliza is the head of a clothing factory, scolding her fabric consultant for wanting to give workers time off for the holiday. The rest of the dialogue and plot remains largely intact from the original work. Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit are there, as are the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and yet to come-rendered more menacingly than in other versions (Christmas Past is a shredded and shrouded white marble figure with four arms and a face obscured by long hair). Readers might wonder why Espinosa didn't take more liberties, as his manga elements, crisp backgrounds, and hints of steampunk style suggest an edgier direction-but then they may just revel in the fresh artistic take on the traditional tale.-Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.