Rudolph Shines Again

Most people only know the well-loved story of Rudolph either through the Johnny Marks song or the popular 1964 TV special. However, not many people know that Rudolph was created by a Montgomery Wards employee named Robert May, who also wrote two sequels to the original story. Surprisingly, this sequel, Rudolph Shines Again, was the only other Rudolph story published during his lifetime, apart from the posthumous sequel, Rudolph's Second Christmas. But this episode in the Rudolph story goes the furthest in allowing us to see Rudolph examine his character thoroughly and discover who he really is as a reindeer. This Rudolph story tugs at the heartstrings more than the previous two books at the beginning, because of how Rudolph feels for his sufferings amongst his reindeer companions who are so fed up with how Santa Claus always finds favour with him and not with them. Luckily, this heart-tugging does not go overboard because we learn that even though Rudolph loses his nose, he remembers that he has forgotten himself in thinking selfishly about it. It is there that we see a bit more character development in him and the story picks up its momentum of its own. Rudolph's willingness to find the two lost rabbits shows the heart he has for others, with shades of his adventures in the Second Christmas episode, and his selfless spirit of charity, and he still retains his inimitable character even when he realises he has regained his nose and does not need to elate over it with his emotions. The story is written with the same rhyming couplets that made the original Rudolph story so fresh, with many ingenous rhyming twists and felicitous touches in the story-telling, and with the resolution this finds at the end of all the three stories, this makes the perfect conclusion to the three Rudolph stories of Robert L. May. In conclusion, I feel prepared to say that this Rudolph story is as good as the other two, but does more in character development by allowing us readers to follow how Rudolph examines his real character while allowing his heart to glow as brightly as before. My one wish now is that it would be perfect and great if the three Robert May Rudolph stories were published in one book as a continuous Rudolph saga, and that reading the three individual episodes in this story will allow everyone to guide their sleighs to greater self-worth and self-esteem in a soul-stirring story.

This book is a wonderful story and the illustrations were absolutely beautiful! The artist really captured the feeling of the story. I highly for young and old!