JINGLE BELLS

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.