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PICTURE BOOKS:Classic tales, chaotic graphics and poignant plots burst from these pages, writes Robert Dunbar

FIRST PUBLISHED in 1909 and widely anthologised since, O Henry's The Gift of the Magihas many claims to be considered the perfect Christmas story for our financially challenged times. At its centre are Della and Jim, a young, impoverished married couple who place generosity and self-sacrifice above all other considerations as they choose gifts for each other, only to see their intentions thwarted by the ironic twists of fate and circumstance. PJ Lynch's new illustrated edition of the story (Walker, £10.99) doesn't merely trace the twists and turns of the original and capture its quickly changing moods; its succession of beautifully composed paintings - starting with the cover - provides its own interpretative commentary.