A good selection for homes in need of a little more giving spirit at Christmastime.
An elf learns the joy of giving in this sweet—but not saccharine—Christmas story by debut author Thomason.
Jingle Jangle is an elf known for his giving spirit. Told in a flashback, readers see him in his early days. The elf has no desire to share any of his creations. Instead of making toys for good children, Jingle Jangle tucks all his work away in his own stocking. In a wonderful image by Barrett, children can see just how troublesome this toy hoarding becomes. Jingle Jangle’s huge, pink stocking, patched with bits of what might be wrapping paper, takes up most of his house! After building a separate shelter for his stocking and toys, he hears a strange series of knocks on his door (the reader never learns who is doing the knocking). On the first night, no one is there. The next morning when he answers the knock, a present appears on the doorstep. But the box is empty, and Jingle Jangle is left disappointed—until he decides to fill it with one of his toys to open himself. But when Jingle Jangle leaves the box on his own doorstep, intending to “find” it again as a surprise, a tiny mouse discovers it first. Initially angry, as he watches the mouse play, Jingle Jangle feels his heart grow—perhaps not three sizes like the Grinch’s ticker, but big enough that he realizes how fun it is to create for others. Parents of children having trouble sharing or letting go of some of their older, unplayed-with toys as new presents come in, may be able to use Jingle Jangle’s story of giving as encouragement to inspire generosity at home. Children listening or reading along are likely to become attached to the greedy elf even when he is not at his best through Barrett’s inviting illustrations. The elf is full of action poses, and despite his simple face, his body expressions communicate a lot about his character.
A good selection for homes in need of a little more giving spirit at Christmastime.Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9967855-1-8
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Rave Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 23, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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