Skip.
When Veda loses her first tooth on Christmas Eve, an aspiring tooth fairy must battle Santa for the chance to leave her something.
In Deenihan’s wordy text, Santa Claus (who, like the protagonist fairy and the little girl, appears white with light skin) is surprisingly cranky and territorial about Christmas Eve gift-giving. “Please feel free to come back any other night of the year,” he tells Blue, a fairy on his first lost-tooth mission and out to prove himself worthy of “a spot on the Tooth Fairy Team.” The stakes are high: If he fails to “locate and retrieve the client’s lost tooth” he will “be assigned to the polishing department for one year”—the worst job ever, apparently. But Santa won’t budge when Blue makes his case: “We can’t share Christmas Eve!” And so begins a raucous competition that causes a mess, upending a plate bearing cookies and a carrot. Also on that plate is a letter addressed to both of them that provokes a change of heart in the grinchy Santa. He and Blue clean up, and Blue takes Veda’s tooth and leaves a coin (hard to see in the busy picture), while Santa puts presents under the tree. They leave a note, too, and then Santa takes the triumphant Blue back to Toothtopia. The garish illustrations are more often overcrowded than not, a problem exacerbated by the oddly out-of-sync candy-colored palette.
Skip. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5247-9080-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Effectively captures the excitement surrounding Valentine’s Day.
A collection of poems follows a group of elementary school students as they prepare for and celebrate Valentine’s Day.
One student starts the day by carefully choosing clothing in pink, purple, or red, while a family kicks off the morning with a breakfast of red, heart-shaped pancakes. At school, children create valentines until party time finally arrives with lots of yummy treats. The students give valentines to their school friends, of course, but we also see one child making a “special delivery” to a pet, a stuffed animal, family members, and even the crossing guard. The poems also extend the Valentine’s celebration to the community park, where other couples—some older, one that appears to be same-sex—are struck by cupid’s “magical love arrows.” Note the child running away: “Blech!” Not everyone wants to “end up in love!!!” But the spread devoted to Valentine’s jokes will please readers more interested in humor than in romance and inspire children to create their own jokes. To make the celebration complete, the last pages of the book contain stickers and a double-sided “BEE MINE!” valentine that readers can, with adult help, cut out. Cheery and kid-friendly, the poems can be read independently or from cover to cover as a full story. The cartoonish illustrations include lots of hearts and emphasize the growing Valentine’s Day excitement, depicting a diverse classroom that includes students who use wheelchairs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Effectively captures the excitement surrounding Valentine’s Day. (Picture-book poetry. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-38717-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An Otto-rly successful modern Christmas story.
A glitzy ornament searches for a tree worthy of him but finds his real place where he least expects it.
“Merry Christmas, bulbs and baubles! I’m Otto! I’m here to bedeck the heck out of your tree!” And “bedeck the heck” he tries! When Otto is told there’s space for him in the middle of the tree, he scoffs—only the top will do for an ornament like him. After he mocks his fellow ornaments, they refuse to make room for him, so he heads out to look for a new place to shine. He takes a scarring tumble down into the sewer, where he encounters an unlikely precious item. Returning with his find, Otto no longer sparkles but still manages to shine at home on the tree. This is a well-paced, appealing tale that will make for a great preschool read-aloud come December. Arrogant Otto has a satisfying redemptive arc that will resonate with readers. The dialogue and wordplay are pitch-perfect, bringing the characters to life. A mix of cartoonish vignettes and full-page spreads effectively depicts action and movement. Otto is multicolored and patterned with big eyes and a winning grin; the other ornaments on the tree also have personalities that match their styles. The few humans who appear are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An Otto-rly successful modern Christmas story. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593481202
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
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