The playful design gives this Christmas book high appeal to young readers.
Santa’s cookie disappears on Christmas Eve, and a series of cut-out concentric circles offers possible locations for the renegade treat.
The story in this board book is simple: “After our feast, Santa’s cookie goes missing! Where could it be? / Hanging on the tree? // Is it on the wreath?” And so the tale progresses, question after question, the circles growing smaller and smaller until at last the mystery is solved. The fun of this is the concentric circles, some adorned with red sparkles, others with shiny green foil. The best are the guesses in which the circle is cleverly included in the illustration, such as the middle snowball of a snowman or the center of a keyhole. The cookie is visible all along, including from the cover, but of course the mystery of where it actually is remains hidden throughout the book. Passchier’s illustrations depict Santa as white, but other characters, including elves, are diverse. There is a consistent color palette featuring the obvious red and green along with pastel pinks, blues, and greens. There isn’t a lot of detail in the images, allowing the focus to remain on the cutouts. The book ends with a bit of a wink to the readers: “Hey, where’s Santa’s milk?” The answer to that is also on the final double-page spread, and given where the cookie winds up, it should elicit a smile.
The playful design gives this Christmas book high appeal to young readers. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-358-04054-5
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
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Cute and sprightly but not a standout.
Deck the stalls?
A bevy of barnyard animals, a cat, and some dogs get fully into the Christmas spirit by sprucing up the farm with colorful decorations, including holly berries and sparkling baubles. They have a great time and sing while going about their merry chores in a manner somewhat in keeping with the rhythm of the classic tune “Deck the Halls.” (In fact, a flock of sheep are shown holding song sheets for it.) As might be expected with these particular celebrants, some of the familiar lyrics are altered just a bit; for instance, “boughs of holly” is “translated” as “cows and holly.” Adult readers expecting the rhythm here to work exactly as it does in the original will be disappointed, because it doesn’t—it’s clunky. This is merely a brief, lightweight spoof of the familiar ditty, so it’s recommended that grown-ups read rather than sing this—except for that final line!—to very young targeted audiences, who may be unfamiliar with the actual song anyway. Some fun is still to be had in the illustrations, however. The spirited, wittily expressive animal characters are depicted having a fine time romping about and producing a variety of onomatopoeic sounds throughout. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Cute and sprightly but not a standout. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66591-435-2
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
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