Great Joy

In her first picture book, America’s beloved storyteller Kate DiCamilloreunites with Bagram Ibatoulline to offer readers an unforgettable holiday gift.It is just before Christmas when an organ grinder and monkey appear onthe street corner outside Frances’s apartment. Frances can see them fromher window and, sometimes, when it’s quiet, she can hear their music. In fact, Frances can’t stop thinking about them, especially after she sees the man and his monkey sleeping outside on the cold street at midnight. When the day of the Christmas pageant arrives, and it’s Frances’s turn tospeak, everyone waits silently. But all Frances can think about is the organ grinder’s sad eyes — until, just in time, she finds the perfect words toshare.