A sweet, upbeat way to get kids jazzed for Christmas.
Christmas is a time for joyful, musical celebration.
This charming homage to Christmas-preparation merriment is expressed through simple, four-line verses as various animal families, friends, and neighbors are depicted gaily getting ready for the holiday. Each verse seamlessly incorporates a boldfaced, italicized word or phrase drawn from the lyrics of one of 14 well-known Christmas songs, including “Deck the Halls” and “Joy to the World.” These songs are listed in the back of the book, and readers may access the full lyrics to all the carols via QR codes. But while readers are encouraged to match the lyric snippets from the verses to the songs from which they’re derived, there’s actually no way for them to do so if they’re unfamiliar with all or some of the actual carols, as no printed hints are offered in the body of the text. Still, the book is a lively, cheery exploration of the Christmas spirit, radiating from very colorful digital illustrations that portray a variety of animal species enjoying warm, cozy times with family and friends, decorating homes and trees, enlivening cold winters with yummy repasts and toasty clothing, and honoring inclusivity. Note these lovely lines, apt for all times and all seasons: “Joy to the World!The time has come/to celebrate each other, / no matter where you’re from.”
A sweet, upbeat way to get kids jazzed for Christmas. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781728265872
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Sept. 7, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade.
An ant explores her world.
Addie Ant’s ready for adventure. Despite some trepidation about leaving the Tomato Bed, where she lives with her aunt, she plucks up her courage and ventures forth across the garden to the far side of the shed. On her journey, she meets her pal Lewis Ladybug, who greets her warmly, points the way, and offers sage advice. When Addie arrives at her destination, she’s welcomed by lovely Beatrix Butterfly and enjoys an “ant-tastic” helping of watermelon. Beatrix also provides Addie with take-home treats and a map for the “Cricket Express,” which will take her straight home. Arriving at the terminal, Addie’s delighted to meet another friend, Cleo Cricket, whose carriage service returns Addie home in “two hops.” After eating a warm tomato soup dinner, Addie falls asleep and dreams of future exploits. Adorable though not terribly original, this story brims with sensuous pleasures, both textual and visual. Kids who declare that they dislike fruits or veggies may find their mouths watering at the mentions and sights of luscious tomatoes, peas, beans, watermelons, berries, and other foodstuffs; insect-averse readers may likewise think differently after encountering these convivial, wide-eyed characters. And those flowers and herbs everywhere! The highlights are the colors that burst from the pages. Addie’s an endearing, empowering character who reassures children they’ll be able to take those first independent steps successfully.
Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade. (author’s note about ants) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781797228914
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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