Gr 2-5 "Jacob Marley was as dead as a doornail" and "God bless us, every one!" familiarly make up the first and last lines of this otherwise pared-down take on the classic story. The picture book format leaves little room for exposition, as Scrooge is succinctly introduced as a "hard-hearted, greedy old miser" and Marley skips the niceties when his ghostly form appears in favor of immediately announcing the three hauntings in store for Scrooge that Christmas Eve. The sadder and scarier plot pointsFan's death, Scrooge's broken engagement, and the stolen bed curtainsare also edited out. Still, the lessons of the story are easy to find, and the full pages of engaging watercolor and digital media illustrations effectively take readers into the scenes of regret, past merriment, and, finally, redemption. VERDICT An appropriate choice for a family read-aloud or for newly independent readers. Joanna Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library