cover image The Three Wise Men: A Christmas Story

The Three Wise Men: A Christmas Story

Loek Koopmans. Floris (SteinerBooks, dist.), $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-7825-0135-0

Dutch artist Koopmans offers a subdued, almost dreamlike account of the journey of the wise men, Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar. Gathered in the turret of an observatory, surrounded by hilly desert, the three "stargazers" look with awe at the strange star that has appeared in the sky: "They did not know the star's name. They had never seen anything like it before. It was a miracle." With a backdrop of pale yellows, greens, and blues, Koopmans's paintings have a gauzy quality that amplifies the mystery about the star's meaning as the men acquire camels and gifts and follow the star, suspecting it may be connected to an ancient story about the birth of a new king. A powerful sense of serenity permeates both the understated text and richly rendered artwork. Ages 4%E2%80%93up. (Oct.)