Bah Humbug Christmas Need Little Scrooge

by Michael Rosen, Tony Ross (Illustrator)

Michael Rosen’s characteristically thoughtful retelling of A Christmas Carol sees young Harry playing Scrooge in his school play, and discovering that its message has a lot to teach both him and his often-absent father about the value of their relationship. Age 7+

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Retellings, Audiobook

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 2017

About the author

Michael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry Gruben has the lead in a school play. He's playing Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. His parents and his sister are going to the production. Harry just wishes his dad would stop thinking about business or reading emails on his phone and just be his dad for once. Little does he know a little Christmas Carol magic will play out for his dad, while Harry portrays Scrooge on the stage.

A Christmas Carol has been one of my favorite books since childhood. I love the imagery, the characters and the happy ending for the ol' curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge. I re-read the book every holiday season at least once, and read every retelling I can get my hands on. :) When I saw this book's title, I knew I had to read it! I'm glad I did! Not only does the book include a lot of passages and dialogue straight from A Christmas Carol, giving the lines and actions that Harry is performing on-stage...but it weaves in the tale about Harry's dad, preoccupied with business and missing his son's play, and his lesson in priorities.

This story is such a creative way to give the ageless tale of redemption a modern feel....workaholic parents, smartphones, email, computers, instant information.....and kids who just want their parents to stop running and just be mom and dad for awhile.

Lovely book! I'm buying a copy for my A Christmas Carol theme bookshelf....for when I need a reminder of what my top priorities should be. Sometimes the tech needs to be turned off!! :)

This is the first book I've read by Michael Rosen. I'm definitely going to read more of his children's stories, especially one he wrote about the life of Roald Dahl, Fantastic Mr. Dahl. The illustrations by Tony Ross were perfect and really added to the book! He illustrated the Horrid Henry series and many others. The cover for Bah! Humbug! is awesome....very colorful and festive!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Candlewick Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. No spirits appeared to point out my poor life choices during the reading of this book. God bless us, every one!**

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️s


Retelling of A Christmas Carol.


Harry Gruber is the leading performer as Scrooge in his school play and his work consumed father promises to be there but he is glued to his mobile phone. Harry just wants him to be a dad for once.

I had to listen to this twice but I don’t think it works well as an audiobook as for most of the tale I still couldn’t keep track of when the story was the school production or when characters were off-stage.

Possibly work better as a physical copy. My local library has one copy I will borrow it as I’m curious to see how it goes reading it as a book.



Audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by: Bolinda audio
Read by Pete Cross
Duration: 2 hrs, 43 min. 1.25x Speed

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry Gruber is going to play Scrooge in his school’s version of A Christmas Carol. His mom and his sister Eva can’t wait to see the show, but his workaholic dad is grumbling about missing time at work. Still, they all pile in the car in anticipation of a family night they all will share. Harry is nervous but works through it, and his mom and Eva are excited with Harry’s great performance. But the play is hardly underway when his dad gets a work text he chooses not to ignore. He dashes out, leaving a disappointed family in his wake. But things go awry, and the dad begins to think back over his own past. Though geared for kids, this book is one that can enjoyed by the whole family, maybe even performed by them! Author Michael Rosen has done an excellent job of pairing up the original tale with his modern day parable, and illustrator Tony Ross has done a remarkable job with the many delightful illustrations. This retelling of the well-known novel contains many of the lines readers have come to cherish from the original but certainly adds its own flavor to the mix. It’s Christmas magic the whole family can enjoy time and again.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written for the younger set, yet the aim is at the heart of the reader of the tale who stands a little taller than the little ones to whom the reader reads. The message is loud and clear - Whatever happens at work, should stay at work. When family is presenting, however they present (in this case a play of Christmas, Dicken's Christmas Carol) all screens down PLEASE!

Short, sweet and with a pertinent message for those who want to holiday properly. 3 stars.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited for this book in the beginning - a Christmas Carol retelling, with a clever Dahl-ness (enhanced by Tony Ross’ illustrations).
I don’t know what happened. But, no, I guess I do - it was just chunks of dialogue from a school Christmas Carol play, literal pages of dialogue, interspersed with a ‘modern’ parallel storyline of a workaholic dad seeing the light.
This book just felt so done before and while I enjoyed aspects of the writing, I think kids may have trouble connecting with it.

I would have enjoyed this more if there had been more development of the modern storyline. The family felt stereotypical and cliche, I wanted more from them, especially from the clever sister Eva who is handicapped (this is vaguely mentioned a few times, a la Tiny TIm). I did like that this book showed a brief moment of time, their Christmas Eve, but I felt there were missed opportunities.

I think I’ll just stick to the original in this case, but it seems like a lot of other people enjoyed its festiveness!

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Rosen should be knighted for his services to education. This will be read every year alongside the Dickens classic to my children and hopefully their children.

[Owen Townend · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though it definitely had its heart in the right place, I'm sorry to say this didn't quite work for me. Michael Rosen is one of my favourite authors but Bah! Humbug! bothered me like an undigested bit of beef, to quote Dickens.

That being said, too much of the original A Christmas Carol is quoted in this book, for too long. After a while it felt less like context and more like filler. While it is appropriate to show young Harry Gruber performing as Scrooge in his school play, the scripted passages could have easily been cut back when his Dad left for work reasons.

This latter half of the story is the most important. I wish more time could have been devoted to Ray's workaholic attitude being overturned by circumstances and realisations, so it could have all felt more organic. Rosen excels in these scenes even if it sometimes feels like he has stopped addressing kids and families to have a candid word with their parents about priorities instead. Then again this is a very important subject and deserves more pages and perhaps a change in book marketing.

While I was unsettled by the tonal inconsistencies of the text, Tony Ross's illustration is as uplifting and fun as ever. He certainly brings a school stage production to life. Just look at who is playing the three Ghosts that visit Scrooge.

These grumbles aside, Bah! Humbug! has a sweet nature and a vital message to convey. I recommend it to parents who find themselves in Ray's position and want to open up a dialogue with their children.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Premise/plot: Harry Gruber is playing Scrooge in his school's production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. His father, Ray, a real-life Scrooge himself, is not pleased that he "has" to stop everything and attend the performance. Will Ray stop working long enough to watch his son shine as Scrooge? Will he tune in to the needs of his family? Or is he a lost cause?


My thoughts: This one was predictable. I won't lie. But it's predictable in a good way. It juxtaposes several stories. First, we have Rosen's adaptation of A Christmas Carol--the script Harry's performing. Second, we get a behind-the-scenes perspective as Harry is performing--on stage, off stage, in the audience. Third, we get to follow Ray as he undergoes a transformation not unlike Scrooge's.


I enjoyed this one and would recommend it.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super cute! I especially liked the extras at the back (recipes, games, suggestions on how to read it out loud with your family). Like a whole extra star for those tbh. Was a tad disappoint that there were no more ghosts in the parallel story, but I'll survive.
I feel like maybe though this book was super cute for me, it might not be as readable for kids? But maybe I've just gotten too far away from what kids read. IS THIS WHAT GETTING OLD FEELS LIKE?
I want like, a whole book on Eva.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't bad for a younger kid to read. As an adult it was a bit blahh. Harry gets the honor of playing Scrooge in his school's production of A Christmas Carol. His dad promises to see him in the play, but he is glued to his cell phone and things going on at work. This book almost a retelling of a christmas story. You are reading the play as the kids put it on, and dad is walking in and out of play and his life imitating the story. It wasn’t a bad story but so much of it was the play that it didn’t really seem like a retelling, or of an add in. Kids will enjoy it, parents, maybe not unless read as a family project together.

[Maci D · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars. This was just really odd. We follow a young man who gets to play scrooge in a school play and his work obsessed Dad is the parallel to the original tale. But we get LOTS of word for dialog from the original book and a lot of back and forth that didn't really add much to the story and I think wouldn't work for younger readers either. It's not a bad little book, but didn't quite meet the mark.

[Kerry Perks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Michael Rosen and was really looking forward to this. I listened to the audio version and although the story was good, I was put off by the American narrator, hence the 3 stars. Maybe I will read the actual book next year!

[Robyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would make an awesome read aloud!

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad to say it, I think I expected a little more from this book. We get a very pleasant telling of how a lad enacts Scrooge in the school show, but in giving us a lot of the script of the adaptation I think we could have done with much less. And the modern parallel, the whole point of the thing, where his own father shows Scrooge-like obstinacy in choosing work over and above family, is not quite there either. It looks like he'll get a full set of four ghosts but doesn't, and some of the more contemporary justification for his character and his back-story would appear set to go over the heads of the young readers. Still, it's a reasonably pleasant and quick read – just not ready to join the original Dickens on the classics shelf.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

For the intended audience, this story might be a nice introduction to the actual text of' A Christmas Carol as well as its meaning. Harry plays Scrooge in the school play while his work-focused father undergoes a quick, and not well-explained, transformation of his own. Two-star rating is given as an adult reader who already knows Dickens' story well and who found the contemporary plot boring. The use of Harry's wheelchair-bound, sassy sister Eva as a lens to see how a person with a handicap might view the well-known holiday story is the bright spot in this otherwise uninspired story.

[Book-Social · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Bah! Humbug! Rosen brilliantly interweaves the classic A Christmas Carol with a modern day equivalent of Harry and his Scrooge like father Ray. Too busy with work, too tied to his phone, Ray has forgotten the true meaning of family and Christmas. But he is about to be reminded! What a brilliant way to introduce children to Dickens. A quick questioning before we started reading revealed many thought the tale was simply a muppet film. They were about to be corrected.

Obviously being about A Christmas Carol the book is big on the festive message of good will. Yet there are lots of lovely little messages in it and a great book to discuss the more subtle parts of the text. Did you pick up on Harry’s sister possibly being disabled? Could Ray’s dead work colleague be likened to Jacob Marley?

At the back of Bah! Humbug! there is a lovely little paragraph about Charles Dickens and Victorian Christmases. The book club used this as a starter for ten and did a little research on how the Victorians ‘gave us’ Christmas as we know it. We then had a little party (well it is Christmas) and played the parlour games suggested at the back of the book, challenging ourselves to come up with our own Christmas jokes. (Humbugs may have also been eaten during this time)

Bah! Humbug! Is an excellent way of introducing children to Dickens and is the perfect book to read over the Christmas period. It’s not too taxing, not too long, yet still provides some good talking/learning points. I thoroughly recommend it to teachers (and parents) (and children). We awarded it 4 out of 5 humbugs! P.S Did you know Rosen has also retold the classic Oliver Twist in his book Unexpected Twist? We would love to hear from you if you have read it.

[karla_bookishlife · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 / 5 snowflakes for the audiobook❄
4 / 5 for the hardcopy

No story portrays the essence of Christmas better than Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. This tale by Michael Rosen is a retelling of the Dickens one, aimed at a younger audience. Perfect for introducing your 7 to 10 year olds to the text, this retelling follows Harry Gruber as he aims to take a leading part in his school production of the play. As Harry practices his part, the readers are introduced to excerpts from the screenplay. Alongside Scrooge's second chance at redemption, we are shown Harry's work obsessed father, who is never without his mobile phone in his clutches. As Harry prepares to take to the stage, he worries his dad will choose work over watching his performance. Will his dad get caught up in the message of Christmas cheer and put his family first, or get caught up at work. I adored this story, which I listened to from a Bolinda audiobook from the library. I even purchased a copy to place in my daughter's Christmas stocking. Why 3.5 stars? For me, as an adult, the 5 stars belongs to the original. Michael Rosen's adaptation for children deserves a 4. However, the audiobook was a little disappointing for me, as it had an American accent. Nothing against American accents, but for me personally I prefer the accents to reflect the origins and Dickens will always be in my mind as C19th Victorian London and Michael Rosen is also based in London. Another reason to choose the book over the audiobook on this occasion is the illustrations. Tony Ross provides the most fantastic images to accompany the story #bahhumbug #michaelrosen #tonyross #bolindaaudio #librariesni

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bah! Humbug! : A magical retelling of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Tony Ross, 192 pages. Walker Books Candlewick Press, 2017 $15.99.

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.


BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Harry is starring in his middle school production of A Christmas Carol. He is well prepared and excited, but his dad, Ray, has his mind on work - all the time. So when Ray schedules a meeting during the production, he leaves the show to talk with "Mumbai", and starts his own private version of A Christmas Carol, seeing himself for what he has become - not the father he set out to be.

Dickens's A Christmas Carol script is interspersed with this family story to give the reader perspective, however, the pages of dialogue from the play were a bit tedious. Is there an expectation that the reader already knows A Christmas Carol? I wish Ray had been a child or teenager. I'm not sure kids will connect to the adult and shifting back and forth from script to narrative may prove daunting. I wish Ray had been a child or teenager. I'm not sure kids will connect to the adult and shifting back and forth from script to narrative may prove daunting.

Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Avanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review based on an ARC (advanced readers copy received for free in exchange for an honest review).

That this book contains the heart of one of my all-time favorite stories ever, certainly gives it a leg up. But I felt that Rosen did a really nice job, once he settled into the story a bit, of showing a modern-day Scrooge story... a story where you *understand* the scroogey'ness of the father, but cannot bear it for the pain it causes. By offering little snippets of perspectives from Father, friend, son, and daughter, I think Rosen really manages to make his modern Scrooge heartfelt.

I loved the growth that Harry (son) shows in his role as Scrooge in his school play. It is almost as if we get to enjoy his maturity into "man," alongside his family.

I loved his sister's little snarky comments. Somehow, despite the brevity with which we are graced with them, they provide us with a real glimpse into her personality and the joy she brings to others.

And I was, despite my awareness of the story, still impressed with Rosen's approach at bringing Ray (father's) struggle into the light, for himself and for his son.

I was touched and moved and once again find myself loving Dickens' Christmas Carol. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jessika Hoover · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am such a fanatic for all things Christmas that I can read and enjoy a Christmas book at any time of year. So when I received this last month and saw that it was a retelling of one of my favorite Christmas stories, I was pretty excited! I'll be honest though, I think that this is a book that would be best enjoyed by its intended audience, aka kids. As an adult who has read A Christmas Carol countless times, I can't say that this brought anything new to the table for me. However, I think this would be a great way to introduce young readers to Dickens' classic tale. The script format makes this easily readable, and I think it would even encourage reading aloud. The illustrations are absolutely adorable and have a quirky quality that I loved. The storyline involving Harry and his family kept the story moving forward and offered a modern, if slightly predictable, take on Scrooge's tale. I will say that I had the feeling that these characters were first introduced in another book maybe, as I couldn't help feeling like I was missing something.

Overall, this was a quick and quirky take on A Christmas Carol that I think young readers would love. Thank you to Candlewick Press for sending me a free, finished copy!

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

is a modern retelling of The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The main character, Harry, is playing the part of Scrooge in his school’s Christmas Eve play. He is excited for his whole family to be there, until his dad ends up going back into work for the evening instead. Basically, Harry’s dad is a workaholic who is not spending much quality time with his family. The book includes long excerpts from the original Christmas Carol, which I think could be really good for kids. With the modern day story breaking it up, and especially in the audio version, I think this could be a good introduction to some of the original wording without losing the younger readers. Interspersed with the play, we have scenes of Harry’s dad talking with three friends who are trying to convince him to be more present with his family. Overall, this is a nice retelling. I kind of wish the author would have chosen a different character to need a change of heart. The workaholic father stereotype has been done, and I would have liked someone else for a fresher perspective, but, again, this book is pretty good. The audio is great, and the book version has cute illustrations done by Tony Ross, who is famous for illustrating all of Roald Dahl’s books.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect Christmas story, cleverly entwining lines from A Christmas Carol into a new story, echoing the message contained in it. A child might need to know the story already - I suggest A Muppet Christmas Carol, still the best version ever - in order to get the nuances, and there's a reveal about the main character's sister that's slightly hidden until about halfway through, but overall it's a fantastic read for any time of year. Perfect.

(I was slightly unsure how old everyone was, which is not a huge concern but worth noting; I'm not even sure which sibling is older, not that it matters to the story. They're something between eight and eighteen, anyway.)


Eva thought of how angry Harry had got when a spot appeared on his face.

"It's just a spot," she had said to him.

"I hate it, I hate it, I hate it," he had shouted at the mirror.

"Maybe shouting at it will scare it away," Eva had said, which, even in the midst of his rage, had made him laugh.

...

And now, in the show, Harry was making everyone laugh with his 'pimple'.

No, not Harry, she reminded herself. Scrooge. Mr Scrooge.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

11 year old Harry is cast as Scrooge in his school's play, but his workaholic father Ray isn't interested in Harry or the play's message and leaves to go make more money. This is a very interesting set up, combining lines from the play with his Ray's emotional journey as the real life Scrooge, plus reactions to the play/Ray from Harry's POV as well as his mother and sister's. It feels like a really solid middle grade version where you're ready for the real life implications of the novel (not just a Disney version) but aren't ready to read Dickens just yet.

Of course there had to be a Tiny Tim equivalent, which is Harry's little sister Eva. It's never labeled as to what it is, but she uses a wheelchair and is at a school for kids with disabilities where it's known that some kids may die. I liked Eva, who is a funny, blunt, take no shit kind of kid, but a few people around her definitely reinforced the "disabled angel" narrative, most notably Ray but also a little bit her mother and a lady at the show. The lady at the show was summarily dismissed, but I wish more had been done to push back on Ray's perspectives.

Overall, I thought it was a good read.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely clever way to work the wonderful truths of Dickens' A Christmas Carol into an applicable, contemporary story.
Harry has the lead in the school Christmas play. He is Scrooge in an exceptionally well adapted version of A Christmas Carol. His sister Eva has helped him to learn the lines, rehearing endlessly, coming to feel part of it all in her own right - and so proud of her brother. Eva's situation in life is not unlike Tiny Tim's; her patience and loving kindness just as evident. Eva and her mother Lisa are engrossed in the production, but Ray, their father, has to leave to attend to ever-present, always most important, business.
Ms. Cavani is a special treat, her character contributing wisdom and compassion, as do so many good teachers.
Bah! Humbug! is a treasure. The original truths are there, just as real and touching as in the original, and the question of whether we can still learn from the past and start anew is answered once again.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Aimee Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A timely retelling of A Christmas Carol for the whole family about a smartphone-obsessed dad.

This Christmas, join Michael Rosen and Tony Ross with their unforgettable retelling of Charles Dickens's beloved holiday classic. Harry Gruber plays the role of Scrooge in his school's production of "A Christmas Carol," and he is extra nervous about tonight's performance because his father is in the audience -- not away for business, as usual. Will the story's message of Christmas cheer and the redemptive power of love reach his father's distracted Scrooge heart?

This was a lovely story, very easy to read and characters that would be relatable for any child who is reading the book. The only gripe I had was there was sometimes a sudden change in the narrative which mat get confusing for some children - but that is a minor smidgen of a gripe!

I would definitely recommend this book and it would be lovely to read on the lead up to Christmas or even on Christmas eve.

Thank you netgalley.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems as if all the classics are getting a remake of one sort or another. Bah! Humbug! brought to mind a situation that I observed several years ago.

I was having lunch at a local, old fashioned luncheonette. Sitting across from me was a man and his son who was about eight years old. The boy had just come from a soccer game and was really excited. He was trying to tell his father all about the game. The problem was that his father just couldn’t tear himself away from his cell phone, totally ignoring his son. In my head I said “you idiot, you will never have this important time back with your son and if you are very lucky the child may just forget that he took a back seat to a cell phone.

This pretty much sums up Bah! Humbug! I loved the illustrations and the humor. I am not sure that a young reader might get all the nuances, but given my experience I am probably wrong about that. It was a very quick, enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Candlewick Press for an ARC

[Zarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cute contemporary children's retelling of Charles Dickens' festive classic A Christmas Carol staying very true to the original novella. In fact, in stayed so true that it was mostly using the original text as a script throughout the book as the kids in the story were performing a stage version of A Christmas Carol. Perhaps not the best version to pick up for someone already very familiar with the story, but a great introduction for a younger generation. And the family tale surrounding the theatre show stayed very true to Dickens' themes of kindness and selflessness – and celebrated the true spirit of Christmas.

3.5 stars

[Abbey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a cute retelling of a Christmas Carol. Although it is a middle grade book, I found myself confused at times with the switching viewpoints. Occasionally it would be lines from the Dickens play, then it would be the son (who was playing Scrooge on stage during the book) and then the dad and so on.

I might have been less confused with the print version of the book, since I would have been able to see when it was lines from the play (typed in script format) and when it was the son's thoughts as he said the lines from the play. This may have just been one of those instances where the audiobook was a tad harder to follow than the printed version. Overall it was fun retelling and an enjoyable, quick listen.

[Priscilla Herrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful retelling of Dickens's A Christmas Carol as a story within a story. It may be a YA novel and is certainly appropriate for younger readers, but this senior citizen thoroughly enjoyed it! Harry Gruber plays the role of Scrooge in a school play presented on Christmas Eve. The audience is filled with parents and siblings, including Harry's workaholic father. Michael Rosen has done a masterful job of creating a modern setting for the story that was such a hit in Victorian England - and demonstrating that some things never change and therefore some lessons are appropriate in any time and place.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel cleverly tells both the original story of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in play form alongside the story of the boy who plays Scrooge and his family. Each one blends together and reflects each other. Clever weaving of the two stories with some lovely language. A recommended read for all especially to introduce readers to the timeless Dickens' classic.