#511 of 1001 · December 24, 2021

It is Christmas Eve, and the chill of winter is shot through with the anticipation of joy and light. Today I am enjoying myself by perusing Night of the White Stag by M. C. Helldorfer and Yvonne Gilbert. A young boy named Finder lives with his mother and siblings, his father lost to a recent war. Now the family has run out of food, and Finder must journey through the winter landscape to the royal castle for assistance. He puts on his father’s cloak and sets out into the snow, taking with him a golden ring bearing the king’s insignia, a symbol of his father’s faithful service. Along the way he meets an aged hunter, eyes blind and other senses dulled since the war, who implores Finder to guide him on his quest for the legendary great white stag. After the hunter wounds the majestic beast, an outraged Finder smears the blood on the old man’s face, which miraculously restores his sight. Finally, the boy reaches the castle and the old hunter reveals himself as the king and promises not only to tend to the needs of Finder’s family but to heal the kingdom from its wartime suffering. Inspired by the medieval legend of St. Eustace and by Chaucer’s Book of the Duchess, Helldorfer plumbs true depth of emotion with his eloquent writing. Gilbert’s exquisitely detailed illustrations celebrate love and warmth amid the bleak of winter white. May safety and tranquility be yours this Christmas Eve. #night #white #stag #war #snow #hunter #king #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks