On Christmas morning, Thomas, an arrogant young man, stops at the candlemaker's shop, looking for a candle to light his lantern. Though the candle Thomas selects is inexpensive, the candlemaker warns, You may find it costly. Thomas certainly finds it puzzling. The lantern reveals his mother in an alleyway, but after he gives her money, the light shows the woman to be a beggar. When a man lying in the street appears to be his brother, Thomas hands over his cloak, but the fellow becomes a stranger. Then a little girl asks for help, and Thomas has nothing left to give. At home, he quickly (and easily) realizes the significance of the candle. Thomas goes to find the girl, another member of his family. Although published as a youth book, this is sophisticated both in concept and execution, and the photo-realistic paintings, handsomely done, are primairly pictures of adults. There's no missing the message; it's spelled out in the last two sentences. Evans, whose big hit was The Christmas Box (1996), will donate the proceeds to charity.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2007 Booklist

With a newly bought candle and chandler's warning that his purchase is only four coppersàbut you may find it costly, a mean-spirited Thomas heads home on Christmas Eve. En route, the candle's metamorphic illumination changes the faces of three beggars into those of Thomas's family members, changing his attitude toward those less fortunate. Realistic paintings lend this somber, heavy-handed tale a Dickensian feel. From HORN BOOK Fall 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.