A fresh, openhearted Christmas story about grief and acceptance.
Aanensen’s (Summer of the Suffragists, 2012, etc.) earnest chapter book tells the story of two Christmases, one ancient, one contemporary.
Oscar isn’t looking forward to his church’s Christmas pageant, especially because everyone has to prepare for it in October. “But it isn’t even Halloween yet,” he says to anyone who will listen. The truth is that Oscar’s father was killed in Iraq in January, and anything Christmas-related reminds Oscar of that giant rift. Oscar’s attitude is changed by a visit from an angel who attempts to remind Oscar of the true holiday spirit by taking him back to the first Christmas: the one in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. Oscar gets a glimpse into the life of Omar, a camel boy whose life isn’t so different from his own. Omar recently lost his father, too; now an orphan, he’s sold into slavery to an old astrologer who’s about to set out on a journey following a star to see a prophesied king. The novel jumps back and forth between Oscar’s and Omar’s stories as they creep toward the two Christmases and learn lessons that will change their perspectives. Aanensen writes in clever, energetic prose that keeps readers in tune with her protagonists. She deftly switches between references appropriate for each time period: while Oscar alludes to the 2010 movie Tangled, Omar sees the world in terms of animals and agriculture. A camel trader’s voice can persuade his customers “like the flower pulls in a bee.” Though this is a Christmas story—infant Jesus does indeed make an appearance—there’s little overt religiosity. Though the plot is familiar, the book is much more concerned with the way children deal with emotional turmoil in the world around them and how they can learn to recognize the things they can rely on: family, friendship, and community.
A fresh, openhearted Christmas story about grief and acceptance.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-0983690528
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Gayle Eggen Aanensen LLC
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A picture book made to incite pleasure and joy.
The celebrated picture-book artist enthusiastically joins the nonsense tradition.
Carle’s nearly 50-year career has produced myriad concept books about counting, the alphabet, and colors, as well as simple, original stories, retellings of fairy tales, and picture books that push the physical boundaries of the form. This latest proves that Carle can reinvent himself as a creator in the field, as he now revels in the absurd, eschewing any pretense of teaching a concept or even engaging with story. Instead, spread after spread uses nonsensical text and sublimely ridiculous pictures to provoke laughter and head-shaking delight. In addition to the book’s title, art immediately cues the book’s silly tone: the cover displays one of Carle’s signature collages against an empty white background; it depicts a duckling emerging from a peeled-back banana peel. The title-page art presents a deer sprouting flowers rather than antlers from its head. When the book proper begins, and language joins illustration, readers are ushered into a series of situations and scenarios that upend expectations and play with conventions. “Ouch! Who’s that in my pouch?” asks a kangaroo with a little blond child instead of a joey in her pouch. Another scene shows two snakes, joined at the middle and looking for their respective tails.
A picture book made to incite pleasure and joy. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-399-17687-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
IN THE NEWS
A warm hug of a picture book wishing all children happy, fulfilled, and meaningful lives.
A picture book filled with positive messages for young children.
From the first “I wish you” page of this picture book to the last, the author of Bedtime for Picco Puppy and other books in the Picco Puppy picture book series (2019) offers children words of encouragement and inspiration, complemented by a gifted artist’s charming illustrations. “I wish you dreams and aspirations, to spread your wings and reach for the stars,” the book begins. On the page, against a deep blue starry sky, a little brown-haired girl steadies a ladder for a blond boy in a space helmet who is reaching for the moon. Children of different races frolic in a snowy wood to illustrate “I wish you joy and laughter, to laugh long and loud until you gasp for breath.” A little Black girl in a wheelchair and a light-skinned boy share an ice cream cone on a leafy autumn day to illustrate “I wish you kindness and generosity, for no act of kindness is ever wasted, no matter how small.” Each “wish” is stated with graceful simplicity; each colorful illustration matches that tone and delights the eye. Two end-of-book features invite children to go back through the pages: “Can You Spot the Famous People?” highlights pictures of some of the book’s characters as if they are child versions of such well-known figures as Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong, and NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, accompanying each name with a short bio. “Can You Spot the Dog?” identifies each dog in the book with its breed.
A warm hug of a picture book wishing all children happy, fulfilled, and meaningful lives.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-925973-12-9
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Picco Puppy
Review Posted Online: Nov. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
