This jaunty, optimistic interpretation of the nostalgic Thanksgiving song will be useful in library holiday collections as...
The traditional song about a sleigh ride to Grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving dinner is interpreted with a snowy setting in the mountains.
As the story opens, a brother and sister duo is ready to set off in their red, horse-drawn sleigh, with their parents preparing to follow in their own purple sleigh. As the children journey though “white and drifted snow,” they cross over a river and along the way meet a rabbit, beavers, moose, foxes, and a wolf who follow them to Grandmother’s farm. The boy and girl are welcomed by Grandmother and her companion, a man with a curly, white beard, who might be their grandfather or a friend or maybe even Santa, considering his dark red hat with white trim. The conclusion finds all the characters, including the friendly animals, joining together for an outdoor Thanksgiving feast. Bright, vibrant illustrations convey a cheery tone with smiling characters and cooperative animals joining in the festive celebration. The text can be read as a story or sung to the familiar tune, though musical notation is not included. There is no indication that the words to the now-traditional song are from a poem written by Lydia Maria Child in 1844. Children, parents, and Grandmother all have light-brown skin and straight, dark hair, while Grandmother’s companion has pale skin.
This jaunty, optimistic interpretation of the nostalgic Thanksgiving song will be useful in library holiday collections as well as for family celebrations. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-515-15765-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
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High-quality, inclusive illustrations make this one stand out.
From the changing season to decorations and costumes, children anticipate Halloween.
Little readers will enjoy all of the familiar markers of the season included in this book: falling leaves, jack-o’-lanterns, Halloween costumes, candy, and trick-or-treating. Everett’s rhyming couplets bob along safely, offering nothing that will wow but enough to keep the pages turning. It’s Wen’s illustrations that give the most to readers, full of bustling scenes and lovely details. A double-page spread of the children in town in front of the candy store includes jars with individually drawn treats and other festive delicacies. The townwide celebration features instruments, creative costumes, and a diverse crowd of people. There are three children who appear as the focus of the illustrations, though there are many secondary characters. One bespectacled White child is drawn in a manual wheelchair, another has dark brown skin, the third presents Asian. The child in the wheelchair is shown as a full participant. Readers will enjoy spotting spooks like a vampire, goblin, and werewolf, as they sometimes appear in the background and other times blend in with the crowd. The familiar trappings of Halloween paired with the robust illustrations will have little readers wanting to reread even if the content itself is not startlingly new.
High-quality, inclusive illustrations make this one stand out. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0586-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
A predictable series entry, mitigated as usual by the protagonists’ perennially energetic positivity.
A holiday-centered spinoff from the duo behind the inspired The Day the Crayons Quit (2013).
With Green Crayon on vacation, how can the waxy ones pull off a colorful St. Patrick’s Day celebration with Duncan, their (unseen) owner? Through their signature combo of cooperation and unwavering enthusiasm, of course. Blue and Yellow collaborate on a field of shamrocks that blends—however spottily—into green. Nearly invisible White Crayon supplies an otherwise unclothed light-skinned leprechaun with undies, and Orange draws a pair of pants that match the wee creature’s iconic beard and hair. Pink applies colors to a vest, and Purple, a natty jacket and boots. Chunky Toddler Crayon contributes a “perfect” scribbly blue hat; Beige and Brown team up for the leprechaun’s harp. In arguably the best bit, Black exuberantly manifests a decidedly unvariegated rainbow, while Gold’s pot of coins is right on the money, hue-wise. Their ardor undimmed by the holiday’s missing customary color, everyone assembles to party. Though the repartee among the crayons isn’t as developed as in previous outings, the book hews close to Daywalt and Jeffers’ winning formula, and there’s still enough here to keep readers chuckling. And, in a droll “wait for it” moment nicely calibrated for storytime, Green returns from vacation, sunglasses and suitcase in hand: “Did I miss anything while I was gone?” (The cover illustrations do hint at some Green-inflected remediation.)
A predictable series entry, mitigated as usual by the protagonists’ perennially energetic positivity. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780593624333
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
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