Though this doesn’t quite match the allure of Michael Garland’s Christmas Magic (2001) or the pure fun of Caralyn and Mark...
This tale of a constructed friend charms with its magic and imagination.
A Friday snow day keeps George home from school, trapped inside and bored as the snow continues to fall. But Saturday is a great play-outside day, so George dons his warm winter clothes. The next few pages are an expository-writing teacher’s dream, as the text and realistic-looking illustrations team up to create a guide to building a snowman. A few household items, some sticks and George’s hard work, and the snowman is complete. Through some unknown magic, George’s snowman comes to life and responds when George offers him a snack. The two spend the day chasing each other and flinging snowballs. On Sunday, a warmer day, George’s snowman doesn’t have as much energy. Monday, a school day, is even hotter. When George gets off the school bus, he finds a small heap of snow decorated with some buttons, a scarf and a carrot (in the illustration, it looks like a jumbled pile of white fleece fabric). But Tuesday brings more snow, and George cannot wait…“to build his snowman again.” Readers will have no doubt that George’s lively snowman will return.
Though this doesn’t quite match the allure of Michael Garland’s Christmas Magic (2001) or the pure fun of Caralyn and Mark Buehner’s Snowmen at Night (2002), it is a nice cross between the two that will have kids rolling snowman pieces with dedicated purpose. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-201445-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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