In Kaldenberg’s debut children’s book, a young child meets a special baby and presents him with a gift that embodies the spirit of the season.
Young Benjamin spends his first night out in the fields with his father, who watches over the family’s flock of sheep. A heavenly light descends upon the shepherds, and from here, the story dovetails with the familiar tale of the birth of Jesus. The shepherds, called to witness the event, seek out the manger in Bethlehem. When Benjamin sees the baby, he decides to give him his own patchwork blanket, which has given him so much comfort and security. He then leans over to tell the newborn about how the quilt “gives a hug.” The book ends with the hope that the love of that special baby will envelop readers, just as wrapping oneself in a quilt feels like an embrace. It’s a fitting analogy that effectively references the holiday’s religious basis without conveying overwrought Christian morals. This inventive take on Christ’s birth deals in the story’s broad strokes, as told from Benjamin’s perspective. After the heavenly hosts fill the fields with light, for example, the book’s straightforward prose shifts: Benjamin tells of his journey to Bethlehem with the muddled, mystified air of an eavesdropper, as he overhears adults discussing angels, a baby and something significant that he can’t quite understand. This hushed confusion, however, gives way to the simple joy of human connection when Benjamin offers his little finger for the baby to grasp. Readers, too, may undergo a similar revelation when Benjamin’s story turns out to be the story of another little boy altogether. Benjamin’s willingness to give his only possession to the baby echoes the biblical lesson about the birth of Christ and God’s gift of love to the world. Illustrator Bonham’s rich watercolors give the boy’s cherubic appearance a sense of innocence and warmth.
A subtle twist on the well-known story of Christmas.
Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2014
ISBN: 978-1500154226
Page Count: 32
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p>
Caregiver-child love abounds in this rhyming board book full of animal puns.
One thing’s for certain, there’s plenty of sweet (and groanworthy) sentiments in this book. Rossner writes, “Giving HOGS and kisses / sends me to the moon!” and, “I’m such a lucky DUCK. / You really QUACK me up!” The book progresses entirely in this fashion, with a new animal pair and pun with each page turn. It reads well as a book for a caregiver to share with a lap-sitting child. On that mark, it succeeds in providing plenty of opportunities for giggles and snuggles. That said, at times the meter is forced, making the cadence a bit stilted, and the cuddles/bubbles rhyme is a dubious one. This is an issue for a book that will almost solely be read aloud. Gibson’s illustrations are very charming; the animals and insects with big eyes and expressive faces have high appeal. The warmth of the animals’ embraces and cuddles translates well from the page, inviting the same snuggles from readers. Decorated eggs appear on each page, and the bunny pair from the cover features prominently. Overall, the concept and message of the book are high interest and age-appropriate, but it doesn’t stand out from the very crowded shelf of “I love you, little one!” books similar to it.
<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p> (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2343-8
Page Count: 25
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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