The Worker in Sandalwood: Marjorie Pickthall; Illustrated by Frances Tyrrell - Hardcover

Pickthall, Marjorie

4.35

23 ratings by Goodreads

9781895555103: The Worker in Sandalwood: Marjorie Pickthall; Illustrated by Frances Tyrrell

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1895555108 ISBN 13: 9781895555103

Publisher: Stoddart Kids, 1998

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

Hyacinthe, a talented but mistreated young woodcarver, experiences a miracle on Christmas Eve, when a young carpenter from far away comes to help him with his work.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

From Booklist:

Ages 6-10. First published in 1914, this is the story of a poor but talented young carpenter, Hyacinthe, abused by a lazy, demanding master. Left without food or fire to finish a complicated sandalwood cabinet on Christmas Eve, Hyacinthe despairs and weeps. Opening the door to an unexpected knock, he finds a young stranger. In the course of telling stories of his homeland, the wanderer offers to help with the carving. Soothed by the smell of sandalwood, the troubled Hyacinthe falls asleep. He awakens to see the young man lay hands on the unfinished corners of the cabinet and transform them with beautiful carvings before slipping away into the Christmas dawn. The adaptation of Pickthall's original story is overwritten, presented in a distracting, story-within-a-story framework that slows down the tale. Tyrrell's softly colored paintings support the old-fashioned, nostalgic quality of the telling, which, despite the structure, still has some charm. Janice Del Negro

From Publishers Weekly:

Tyrrell's delicate, finely drawn illustrations (reminiscent of Susan Jeffers and Nancy Ekholm Burkert) grace this 1914 short story about a mistreated carpenter's apprentice on Christmas Eve. Admonished by his harsh taskmaster to finish a sandalwood cabinet by morning, Hyacinthe is at the brink of despair when a stranger appears and keeps him company as he works. "I also was raised a carpenter," says the visitor, and offers to help as the lad rests. When Hyacinthe awakens, the stranger is gone, leaving behind a cabinet of exquisite beauty and the unspoken question-who was he? Readers will have to decide for themselves. Pickthall's lush prose reflects the leisurely pace of a bygone era. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.