Share with older children; it will give them a new understanding of Grandma.
“Marguerite Godin would be happy if she never had to set foot outside her house ever again.”
The Canadian widow tells her children she’ll be fine by herself; she’s been looking forward to eating dinner and watching the Christmas specials “for days.” Her solitary suburban idyll is disturbed by the doorbell; she immediately imagines the Grim Reaper. “She’s not ready,” so it’s a good thing it’s just a dad whose car has become stuck in the snow. Though she keeps him and his family at arm’s length, she enjoys watching them celebrate as best they can in the car and finally even ventures outside with a tray of refreshments. It’s too late—they’ve been freed—but outside in the moonlight, “the cold air feels so good.” This lengthy, intimate, sometimes-morbid look at a transformative, end-of-life Christmas makes for a highly unusual picture book, but it works. Desjardins’ wry text masterfully conjures details that place young readers in Marguerite’s alien experience, and Blanchet’s flat, retro illustrations are a perfect complement. In both aesthetic and setting they evoke the mid-20th century, when Marguerite and her husband no doubt set up housekeeping. In one particularly funny, wordless image, Marguerite stands at the door, an impossibly long cord extending all the way down the hall from the dad’s unseen hand outside to the rotary phone hung on the wall.
Share with older children; it will give them a new understanding of Grandma. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-59270-178-0
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A Christmas cozy, read straight or bit by bit through the season.
Neither snow nor rain nor mountains of yummy cheese stay the carrier of a letter to Santa.
So carelessly does 8-year-old Oliver stuff his very late letter to Santa into the mailbox that it falls out behind his back—leaving Winston, a “small, grubby white mouse” with an outsized heart, determined to deliver it personally though he has no idea where to go. Smith presents Winston’s Christmas Eve trek in 24 minichapters, each assigned a December “day” and all closing with both twists or cliffhangers and instructions (mostly verbal, unfortunately) for one or more holiday-themed recipes or craft projects. Though he veers occasionally into preciosity (Winston “tried to ignore the grumbling, rumbling noises coming from his tummy”), he also infuses his holiday tale with worthy values. Occasional snowy scenes have an Edwardian look appropriate to the general tone, with a white default in place but a few dark-skinned figures in view. Less-crafty children will struggle with the scantly illustrated projects, which run from paper snowflakes to clothespin dolls and Christmas crackers with or without “snaps,” but lyrics to chestnuts like “The 12 Days of Christmas” (and “Jingle Bells,” which is not a Christmas song, but never mind) at the end invite everyone to sing along.
A Christmas cozy, read straight or bit by bit through the season. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68412-983-6
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Silver Dolphin
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Delicious fun for everyone—even frogs!
Who knew soup-making was such an aerobic activity?
Frog soup is a tasty treat, and a green-skinned witch is ready to share a recipe with fans through a televised cooking show. The ingredients seem simple enough—water, salt, garlic, potatoes, fly extract, etc.—but this Kitchen Witch stumbles with the most important ingredient: frogs. It’s tough to add a spoonful of frogs when the ingredient in question has other plans that include hopping, jumping, and, ultimately, escaping. Thanks to a little culinary magic, however, the day is saved with a briny substitution that pleases both the witch and their new froggy friends. Storytellers will have audiences in stitches with this delectable delight, and children will giggle with each new frenzied attempt of the witch to place the frogs on the spoon. Savvy caregivers or educators may want to use this title to introduce an interest in cooking. Sadly, no (frogless) soup recipe is included at the end for readers to try at home—a small annoyance in an otherwise savory experience. This quibble aside, the story is sure to get a chef’s kiss from adults and children alike. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Delicious fun for everyone—even frogs! (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: July 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06289-029-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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