This witty winter tale deftly skewers the materialistic aspect of the holiday season in a humorous, trenchant way. Coyote is surprised when a little girl with pretend antlers and a fake red nose shows up at his home in the North Woods for a visit. The girl leads Coyote and his four animal friends to a crowded shopping mall full of crabby shoppers and expensive merchandise. Coyote is intrigued, but he realizes he doesn’t need any of the items at the mall, and he and his friends return to the woods for a quiet dinner together to celebrate the solstice. The skillfully rhymed text entertains while making a case for more important aspects of the season than acquiring expensive gifts, and Clement’s humorous, cartoon-style illustrations in watercolor and ink add to the story’s overall appeal. (Picture book. 4-9)
