Lively, cheery holiday fun.
The classic song gets an updated, racing twist.
Excitement’s at fever pitch: “The 1st Ever Snowball Run” will be held on Christmas Eve! “All Sleigh Classes Welcome!” The route: from Jinglewood to Elftown. And, set to the classic winter song’s lyrics, the four teams are off! What makes this book especially fun is that even nonreaders will be able to join in on the “text” because, for the most part, this energetic holiday tale, first published in the U.K., can be sung. Most of the text is comprised of the familiar song’s lyrics, with the repeated “Jingle Bells” refrain italicized. Readers and nonreaders familiar with that classic will be able to sing along while closely observing the racing participants in the illustrations and enjoying the thrilling dash to the finish line—and, near the end, “a mid-air collision” with an extremely famous sleigh driver. Some lyrics have been newly written expressly for this book to perfectly match the rhythms of the original song; these are set in roman type, and adults sharing this title can sing the fresh lyrics, too, thus enhancing the book’s enjoyment. Hereafter, whenever youngsters sing the song, they’ll likely envision these colorful, dynamic, cartoony illustrations featuring an almost-all-animal cast of sleigh racers that include a walrus ship captain character and a rule-breaking blue yeti. Human characters are diverse.
Lively, cheery holiday fun. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781914912924
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boxer Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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