A sweet story celebrating the magic of seasonal holidays.
In Bryant’s picture book, when Santa mixes up his dates and arrives in Holidayville too early for Christmas, he is invited to join in a Fall Festival.
“Once upon a time, in the enchanting town of Holidayville, every day felt like a celebration.” So begins this tale of what happens to Father Christmas when an elf makes a mistake with Santa’s calendar and sends him to Holidayville in October. Santa lands his sleigh during the Fall Festival and is about to take off again when best friends Rihanna and Harlem spot him and convince him to stay. (The people of Holidayville all wear costumes for the festival, so Santa won’t stand out.) He joins the girls in all of their festival traditions—painting pumpkins, bobbing for apples, telling spooky stories—and not only does Santa have a great time, Harlem and Rihanna enjoy themselves all the more for sharing. Bryant writes straightforward prose presented in a faux handprinted font that might give pause to younger readers. The premise is wholesome and appealing: Santa, a tireless benefactor of the holiday season, is given his own taste of holiday magic. Figueras brings the tale to life by way of double-page-spread digital illustrations that glisten in autumnal shades. Holidayville is depicted as racially diverse; Harlem and Rihanna, who are Black, embody the delight of children everywhere in rejoicing and making merry. All told, this is a lovely concept well realized.
A sweet story celebrating the magic of seasonal holidays.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781957092928
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Mynd Matters Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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
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