Smudge and the Book of Mistakes: A Christmas Story

by Gloria Whelan (Author) Stephen Costanza (Illustrator)

Smudge and the Book of Mistakes: A Christmas Story
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

The monastery of St. Ambrose is situated on the Irish island of Moracrrick. Here, monks old and young live quiet lives spent in prayer and service. One day the Abbot decides that Brother Bede, their finest illuminator of manuscripts, will illustrate the Christmas story. It will be magnificent, praised throughout the world (as will St. Ambrose).

Unfortunately, young Brother Cuthbert has been chosen to assist Brother Bede in this project. Cuthbert is impatient, lacks discipline, and even worse... is known for making mistakes. His nickname is "Smudge."

How can someone so ill-suited assist in the creation of the greatest book of all?

Award-winning author Gloria Whelan shows that sometimes, when given the right task,
someone's greatest weakness can prove to be his greatest strength.

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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

National Book Award-winner Whelan (Homeless Bird) writes a substantive story about the value of perseverance. It's set in a medieval monastery, where the hard-of-hearing and vainglorious abbot mistakenly appoints young "Smudge," so-called for his sloppiness and tendency to give up easily, to help Brother Gregory write and illuminate the Christmas story. Written with humor, empathy, and an eye toward human foibles, this story develops and resolves with charm, and its message goes down easy. Costanza (A Christmas Spider's Miracle) paints full-page interiors in deep hues of red, green, and purple that convey both the darkness of the monastery and the illumination within its inhabitants. All ages. Agent: Liza Pulitzer-Voges, Eden Street Literary. Illustrator's agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Sept.)

Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5--A talented but easily frustrated young man is transformed by the encouragement and belief of the right mentor. Like many boys, Cuthbert is impatient, lacks discipline, and doesn't like making mistakes. After his annoyed father sends him to a monastery, he ends up in the scriptorium, where he earns the name "Smudge" for his poor skills. When he is mistakenly assigned to do the lettering for the Christmas story, everyone is sent into a tizzy except for master illuminator Brother Bede, who sees some talent in the boy and takes the time to encourage him to practice. Eventually the two create a masterpiece. Whelan's prose makes the long blocks of text flow like water and includes fun details (like the monks taking their yearly bath in preparation for Easter). Costanza's illustrations have the look and feel of animated movie art, which adds humor to what is essentially an apprenticeship tale. A lengthy read-aloud for parent/child sharing, but one that could be inspirational for the right listener.--Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Gloria Whelan
Gloria Whelan is an award-winning and critically acclaimed author of many books for children and young adults. She won the National Book Award for young people's literature for her novel Homeless Bird. A versatile author of historical and contemporary fiction for children and young adults, as well as short stories and poetry for adults, Whelan is, according to Liz Rosenberg in the Chicago Tribune, "an accomplished, graceful, and intelligent writer." She lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and you can visit her at GloriaWhelan.com.

Nancy Carpenter is the acclaimed illustrator of Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Hunt, Queen Victoria's Bathing Machine, Fannie in the Kitchen, and Loud Emily, among other books. Her works have garnered many honors, including two Christopher Awards and the Jane Addams Children's Book Award. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at NancyCarpenter.website.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781585364831
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Sleeping Bear Press
Publication date
August 08, 2012
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV016000 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | General
JUV017010 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Christmas & Advent
Library of Congress categories
History
Middle Ages
Monasteries
Monks
Ireland
Determination (Personality trait)
JUVENILE FICTION / Holidays & Celebrations /
To 1172
Scribes
Alabama Camellia Award
Nominee 2013 - 2014

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