There are many excellent parodies of the famous Christmas poem available, and this one isn’t particularly novel or hilarious.
This parody of “The Night Before Christmas” has a zoo setting, with an orangutan called Oranga Claus as Santa’s counterpart.
The cover shows the orangutan in his loaded sleigh midflight, but instead of reindeer, the sleigh is pulled by zebras. As the story opens with the traditional words, the focus is on the zookeeper, a middle-aged white man with glasses, hanging stockings in preparation for Oranga Claus. The zoo animals are sound asleep, “cuddled together” in a congenial cluster, with the monkeys tucked up in tree-hung beds, dreaming “of yummy bananas that danced in their heads.” The zebra-drawn sleigh arrives, and Oranga Claus distributes gifts for all. The orangutan wears a too-small vest and shorts, setting up the concluding punch line of the story when Oranga Claus calls out a farewell phrase to the zookeeper, “Ooka moo moo la goo.” The zookeeper repeats this phrase to the animals on Christmas morning, thinking it means, “Merry Christmas to you.” The final page shows Oranga Claus opening his own Christmas gift of a larger suit of clothes, with the true meaning of his words: “My clothes are too tight.” The parody holds together and is mildly humorous in its own way, with bright, cartoon-style illustrations of smiling zoo animals and the decorated zoo providing a determinedly jolly setting.
There are many excellent parodies of the famous Christmas poem available, and this one isn’t particularly novel or hilarious. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4556-2154-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pelican
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
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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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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