An appealing holiday confection from a sturdy brand.
In John and Oswald’s latest in their food-centric series, the Big Cheese throws fabulous Christmas celebrations each year—until a household catastrophe on party day requires a friend’s help.
The Big Cheese hosts great shindigs and isn’t afraid to brag about them, from the splendid decor and scintillating party patter to the unmatched gifts and eye-popping surprises. One annual party eclipses the next…until this year. Mid-preparation, strange noises begin emanating from the Big Cheese’s washing machine, which floods the house, short-circuiting the electricity. What will become of the party now? Frantic, the protagonist calls Wedge Wedgeman, a modest, practical friend who’s happy to host instead. The gathering at Wedge’s is cozy, understated, and fun; friends converse, eating chili and sipping cocoa. A phonograph plays music, a fire crackles, and the evening ends with a group photo. Everyone leaves with a holiday card from Wedge (in contrast with the Big Cheese’s over-the-top gift bags). The Big Cheese and Wedge share a high-five, a hug, and ideas about co-hosting next year. Walking home, the Big Cheese realizes that Christmas is simply about sharing time, music, and food with friends. Naturally, though, the Big Cheese reserves rights to future extravaganzas: “Hey, it’s not like my personality changed in a day.” John captures his hero’s endearingly braggadocious voice, while Oswald delivers cheerful cartoons, comically telegraphing the Big Cheese’s gazillion emotional states.
An appealing holiday confection from a sturdy brand. (holiday cards) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9780063437869
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
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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
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