Marvelously exemplifies the diversity of American holiday traditions and offers a more nuanced understanding of Thanksgiving.
This table has room for everyone.
Keenly aware that Thanksgiving is often associated with inaccurate portrayals of Indigenous peoples, Hulse and Goodnight (Chickasaw Nation) have created a loving, inclusive depiction of the holiday. Spare yet lyrical verse invites readers to take a seat at a table alongside a diverse group of characters who eat, ponder, and express gratitude for all they’ve been given. Hulse employs sensory-rich imagery to describe the autumnal season (“a fresh tablecloth, / crisp and gold like this day”), the various mouthwatering foods, and those who work tirelessly at planting and harvesting to make the Thanksgiving meal possible. The repeated phrase “At our table there is room” allows readers to linger on small details that make the holiday special (“swapping stories, / second helpings, and favorite jokes”). Hulse and Goodnight also emphasize respect and honor for Indigenous peoples. In one illustration, a group of people reverently stand before a statue of beloved Wampanoag chief Ousamequin, while Hulse speaks of the importance of making “room to learn from / the first farmers / and builders / and knowledge-gatherers.” Goodnight’s visuals turn solemn and stately here, though in general her images brim with warmth, suffused with an inner glow. Hope and thankfulness resonate throughout as loved ones eat, laugh, share stories, and create lasting memories.
Marvelously exemplifies the diversity of American holiday traditions and offers a more nuanced understanding of Thanksgiving. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9780316537056
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024
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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Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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