"When my mother Angela, was six years old, she felt sorry for the Baby Jesus in the Christmas crib...."

Frank McCourt's first Christmas book is by turns tender and heartwarming, and wholly unforgettable. Angela is six years old and worries for the Baby Jesus on the altar of St. Joseph's Church near School House Lane in Limerick, Ireland, where she lives. December nights are damp and cold, and the church is dark. The Baby Jesus' mother doesn't even have a blanket to cover him, The Baby is sure to need Angela's help, even if she is not allowed to step near the altar, especially by herself.

Filled with the character and incident that have made Pulitzer Prize recipient Frank McCourt internationally renowned and beloved, Angela and the Baby Jesus is a timeless story of family — and all of its joy, tradition, love, and incongruity — and a book for the generations to cherish.

"Among the common themes in Christmas literature for children is one that reminds young readers of those who have less than they do. This season gives us two new picture books that do this in a gentle, non-hectoring way.

'Angela and the Baby Jesus' retells a story that Frank McCourt's mother (first memorialized in 'Angela's Ashes') told him as a child. As recounted here, 6-year-old..." Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) Angela worries that the Baby Jesus in her church's creche must be very cold without any blanket. Even though she knows stealing brings punishment, she lifts the Baby Jesus from his crib, makes her way home and puts the still-smiling baby in her own bed.

McCourt and illustrator Raul Colon wonderfully capture the child's-eye version of this rescue attempt, including the way Angela identifies with the smaller child: 'Even if he was cold he'd never complain because the Baby Jesus would never want to make his mammy the slightest bit unhappy. ... She was often cold herself, hungry too, but never complained for fear of being told by her mother and brothers and sister to stop the whingeing.' Colon's watercolors pay close attention to Angela's expressions and movements; the muted tones and softly glowing lights create a world that's only a bit daunting for a little girl out on her own. (A second version of the story is being marketed to adults, with considerably darker illustrations by Loren Long.)

Inevitably, her well-intentioned scheme is discovered. Her mother quickly wraps the baby in her shawl and walks back to the church with Angela and her siblings. There they find the parish priest with a policeman, who asks, 'Should we ... put her into the Limerick jail?' Angela's brother, just a bit older, begs to go in her place. McCourt, of course, blesses us with a happy ending. When Angela 'put the Baby Jesus back in the crib, he smiled the way he always did and held out his arms to the world.'

Abby McGanney Nolan writes about pop culture and children's books."

Reviewed by Abby McGanney Nolan, Washington Post Book World (Copyright 2006 Washington Post Book World Service/Washington Post Writers Group)
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"Colón's textured watercolor and litho pencil illustrations are exactly suited to the tone of the story. Their slightly grainy, etched quality blends realism with romanticism in a way that evokes distant Ireland as it might appear in a memory. This is excellent storytelling on every level." School Library Journal

"Oversize pages show off his signature textured art, which puts children always in the center; faces of adults are cut off or not seen. Painted with a glow that comes from street lamps or candlelight, Colón's artwork showcases the warmth that a caring family radiates." Booklist

The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir "Angela's Ashes" returns with a captivating Christmas story about his mother as a child, and her attempt to rescue the baby Jesus from the cold church Nativity scene at her church. This beautifully illustrated picture book features lush artwork by award-winning artist Ral Coln. Full color.

McCourt for 30 years he taught in various New York City high schools and in city colleges. He also lives in Connecticut.

Raul Colon has been awarded gold and silver medals from the Society of Illustrators for his picture-book art. Colon's work has also appeared in Time Magazine, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. He lives in New York.