Enchantment is in the air as Emily builds a snowwoman in her yard, topping her off with an old coat, a carrot nose, a straw hat, and a fancy name—Katrina. Inside the house, the angel choir is in place on the table, the tree is decorated, the stockings are hung, and all is ready for Emily to be asleep . . . all except for Emily, that is. Wide awake, she peeks out into the yard and sees that her snowwoman has turned her head to look at the snowman built by the new boy next door. Then she runs to the hall to see her cat and dog dancing and the angel choir flying around. Mice in the kitchen baking, stockings dancing—what could be next? Nothing less than a wonderful scene where Katrina and her snowman come to life—a beautiful lady with her gallant gentleman and a moonlit dance in the falling snowflakes. As dawn breaks, her parents find Emily asleep in the chair and wonder at the strange dream she had. But there is no denying that the two snowpeople are now standing side by side, and that Emily and the new boy will be friends. Garland’s (Last Night at the Zoo, not reviewed, etc.) telling of this imaginative story is somewhat flat, and the illustrations are also a mixed bag. While the beautiful outdoor illustrations show a stunning winter wonderland, many of the indoor scenes are punctuated by an odd mixture of drawings and cutouts. On Emily’s comfy bed, a teddy bear sleeps on the pillow, but the cutout picture of the rigid Victorian doll is dropped in, and like many of the cut pictures, appears to be floating in air instead of resting on a surface. A nice enough story—but it’s the mysterious happenings that “hold the true magic of Christmas”? Disappointing. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-525-46797-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2001
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses.
An elusive new quarry leads the How To Catch… kids on a merry chase through a natural history museum.
Taking at least a step away from the “hunters versus prey” vibe of previous entries in the popular series, the racially diverse group of young visitors dashes through various museum halls in pursuit of the eponymous dino—whose quest to “spread kindness and joy ’round the world” takes the form of a mildly tumultuous museum tour. In most of Elkerton’s overly sweet, color-saturated scenes, only portions of the Loveosaurus, who is purple and covered with pink hearts, are visible behind exhibits or lumbering off the page. But the children find small enticements left behind, from craft supplies to make cards for endangered species to pictures of smiley faces, candy heart–style personal notes (“You Rock!” “Give Hugs”), and, in the hall of medieval arms and armor, a sign urging them to “Be Honest Be Kind.” The somewhat heavy-handed lesson comes through loud and clear. “There’s a message, he wants us to think,” hints Walstead to clue in more obtuse readers…and concluding scenes of smiling people young and otherwise exchanging hugs and knuckle bumps, holding doors for a wheelchair rider, and dancing through clouds of sparkles indicate that they, at least, have gotten it. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 9781728268781
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
A good-enough introduction to a contested festivity but one that’s not in step with the community it’s for.
An overview of the modern African-American holiday.
This book arrives at a time when black people in the United States have had intraracial—some serious, some snarky—conversations about Kwanzaa’s relevance nowadays, from its patchwork inspiration that flattens the cultural diversity of the African continent to a single festive story to, relatedly, the earnest blacker-than-thou pretentiousness surrounding it. Both the author and consultant Keith A. Mayes take great pains—and in painfully simplistic language—to provide a context that attempts to refute the internal arguments as much as it informs its intended audience. In fact, Mayes says in the endnotes that young people are Kwanzaa’s “largest audience and most important constituents” and further extends an invitation to all races and ages to join the winter celebration. However, his “young people represent the future” counterpoint—and the book itself—really responds to an echo of an argument, as black communities have moved the conversation out to listen to African communities who critique the holiday’s loose “African-ness” and deep American-ness and moved on to commemorate holidays that have a more historical base in black people’s experiences in the United States, such as Juneteenth. In this context, the explications of Kwanzaa’s principles and symbols and the smattering of accompanying activities feel out of touch.
A good-enough introduction to a contested festivity but one that’s not in step with the community it’s for. (resources, bibliography, glossary, afterword) (Nonfiction. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4263-2849-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: National Geographic Kids
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2017
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