A Christmas Carol is an essential part of Christmas for families everywhere. Since the book's publication in 1843 the story of miserly Scrooge's change of heart after the visit of three spirits has been encountered by children in innumerable books plays movies and cartoons based on Dickens's ghost story. This edition introduces children to the powerful words of the original text in an abridgement based on the one Dickens made for his public readings. Andrew Wheatcroft's illustrations bring the classic scenes to life. Photography paintings and hundreds of facts explore Dickens's London the wealth and the poverty and Christmas customs and ideals then and now. Dickens's marvellous words and their fascinating context are brought together to inspire a new generation with Dickens's message - that we can and we should change ourselves and our world for the better.