Combine one talking dog, Santa Claus, his reindeer Rudolph, who has the flu, lizards that change their names to fit a climate, four children, and a variety of talking objects and appliances; add an irreverent tone and cheeky style, and presto: a nonsensical and nonlinear story based on the belief in Santa. Rover (The Giggler Treatment, 2000) subs for Rudolph and with the aid of the aforementioned, the race is on to get all the presents delivered in time. Kids ingrained with Saturday morning cartoons may find this hilarious but the irreverence, bathroom humor, illogic of constant interruptions (labeled as such) in the narrative, and admonishments like Warning directed to the reader will be tiresome to adults. The one sentence of Chapter Six claims: “I don’t want to be Chapter Six.” Constellations are named “Teacher’s Armpit” and “Monkey’s Bum.” Pop references and British terms abound, such as mad cows, Guinness, nappies, Rover Bond (as in James), and, of course, Harry Potter. A glossary offers smart-alecky explanations. Major promotion will hype the seasonal aspect and the large type and brief chapters may lure fans of Doyle’s “poo-on-shoe” humor. This spoof on Christmas needs to restring its lights to make it less dependent on the distracting gimmicks and silly devices and focus on the goofy, outlandish appeal of a talking dog leading Santa’s sleigh across the world. (Fiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-439-30530-6
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2001
Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201835-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
In a snowbound Swiss village, Matti figures it’s a good day to make a gingerbread man. He and his mother mix a batch of gingerbread and tuck it in the oven, but Matti is too impatient to wait ten minutes without peeking. When he opens the door, out pops a gingerbread baby, taunting the familiar refrain, “Catch me if you can.” The brash imp races all over the village, teasing animals and tweaking the noses of the citizenry, until there is a fair crowd on his heels intent on giving him a drubbing. Always he remains just out of reach as he races over the winterscape, beautifully rendered with elegant countryside and architectural details by Brett. All the while, Matti is busy back home, building a gingerbread house to entice the nervy cookie to safe harbor. It works, too, and Matti is able to spirit the gingerbread baby away from the mob. The mischief-maker may be a brat, but the gingerbread cookie is also the agent of good cheer, and Brett allows that spirit to run free on these pages. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-399-23444-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
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