Godwin and Chapman (The Best Fall of All, not reviewed, etc.) reunite for their third beginning reader about the team of a big dog named Happy and a mischievous kitten named Honey. The little marmalade-striped kitten wants to help with Christmas preparations, but she causes some minor mischief with tree decorating and holiday baking, giving the more mature dog (and emergent readers) plenty of opportunity to practice saying “no” in various ways. They wait together in front of the fireplace for Christmas to come and are rewarded for their patience with treats in their stockings on Christmas morning. The simple story is written for children who are just starting to read on their own, using a few basic words in larger type and just one or two simple sentences per page. While the story isn’t groundbreaking, it does provide opportunities for new readers to see the holiday words in context, and Chapman’s dog and kitten are engaging characters. Even children who are just beginning to read will be able to read the repetitive “No, no, Honey!” refrain (something every child has already heard more than once). (Easy reader. 4-7)
