Original Christmas stories don’t grow on pine trees, but this story of Papa, Mama, and Baby (Polar) Bear trying out the food, chairs, and bed in a cozy cottage at the North Pole strikes a balance that is just right. Santa is off making deliveries and Mrs. Claus and her three politically correct elves (an Asian girl, an African-American boy, and a redheaded boy) are out fetching a Christmas tree when down from the snowy hills come three playful polar bears that reprise Goldilocks’s antics. When Mrs. Claus and the elves find the bears asleep in bed, the sharp-nosed Mrs. Claus strongly suggests that these bears better help clean up their mess instead of running out the door. They all work together to tidy up the cottage before welcoming Santa Claus back for a late Christmas Eve celebration. The elves and Mr. and Mrs. Claus even manage some gifts from the heart for their unexpected visitors. Catalano (Frog Went a-Courtin’, 1998) has a particular fondness for polar bears that is apparent in his charming illustrations, with evocative expressions on the bears’ faces and believable body positions even for unusual polar-bear behavior, such as carrying a tray of cookies or putting the star on top of the Christmas tree. This large-format book is thoughtfully designed using two-page spreads with bold, clear illustrations of the bears and the other characters, complementing a story that clearly and cleverly parallels the Goldilocks tale. A satisfying sugarplum for holiday story times with a wide range of children, from preschoolers through second graders. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2000
ISBN: 1-56397-864-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2000
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
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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