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MAOR'S CHRISTMAS TALE

THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS TOLD BY A BELOVED OLD MOUSE

A captivating retelling of the Nativity for kids.

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Jesus’ birth is seen through the eyes of a mouse in this winsome holiday storybook.

Clarke recaps the Gospel Nativity story through the perspective of Maor, an old mouse living in the Bethlehem stable where Joseph and Mary take shelter and Mary delivers Jesus. (Other barnyard animals are present, including a nervous dove called Mendel, a stentorian goose called Gettel, and a cow called Rebecca, whose feed trough makes a serviceable crib.) Jesus’ birth is a hushed affair marked by a quiet holiness emanating from the infant “like a soft breeze,” but it soon draws attention: Poor shepherd boys appear, told by an angel to seek out the newborn babe; the Three Wise Men arrive from the East, summoned by a dream and bearing gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense. This rendition of the foundational Christian narrative unfolds in spare but limpid prose that emphasizes the simple humanity of the Holy Family. (“Joseph pressed a damp cloth to his warm body and then washed his son. He gently wrapped the newborn in his best headscarf and placed Him in the arms of His mother.”) Clarke can also write in a more exalted register as awestruck beasts take in the celestial celebration of Christ’s advent. (“Suddenly, it was as if the stable roof opened, and a cloudburst of music gushed forth from the heavens. A thick foggy mist appeared around the stable rafters filled with tiny specks of light the size of a grain of sand.”) Kenny’s illustrations are realistic but also atmospheric with rich chiaroscuro; the people are suffused with unobtrusive joy, and the vividly drawn animals display inquisitive gazes. Her color scheme paints a world of subdued browns, grays, and olive greens that, in moments of divine drama, suddenly erupts with light and color. Children will like the critters, the vibrant visuals, and the homey details in this luminous version of the original Christmas story.

A captivating retelling of the Nativity for kids.

Pub Date: yesterday

ISBN: 9798991416122

Page Count: 64

Publisher: CCE Publishing

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S CHRISTMAS

Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...

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The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.

The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.

Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3

Page Count: 24

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014

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DR. SEUSS'S HOW THE GRINCH LOST CHRISTMAS!

It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property.

Since a reformed Grinch is hardly any fun, this follow-up Grinches him up once more.

Those seeking more of the same, prepare to receive precisely that. Christmas is coming (again!), and the Grinch can hardly wait. He’s been patient all year, and now he can finally show the Whos down in Who-ville how much he’s changed. When the Grinch learns of a tree-decorating contest, he figures that if he wins, it’ll prove he truly has the Christmas spirit. He throws himself into the task, but when it comes time to judge the trees, the Grinch is horrified to discover that he’s received only the second-place trophy. Can Cindy-Lou Who find the words to save the day? Replicating many of the original beats and wordplay of the original, this tale feels like less a sequel and more like a vaguely rewritten variation. Meanwhile, Ruiz’s art seeks to bridge the gap between the animated Chuck Jones version of the Grinch and the one depicted in the original book. This thankless task results in a strange uncanny valley between Seuss and Jones but does allow the artist a chance to colorize everything and lend some racial diversity to the Who population (Cindy-Lou is light-skinned). (This book was reviewed digitally.)

It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023

ISBN: 9780593563168

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023

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