A starry and heartfelt journey that will carry many rapt children through pre-Christmas bedtimes.
The beloved Steam Train is freighted with holiday cheer.
A rabbitlike creature sits up in surprise as a distant train approaches over the frozen landscape. A crew of cartoon monkeys, kangaroos, a purple elephant, a dinosaur, an extremely long-necked giraffe, and more load the boxcars with crates, and the train lifts off into the sky. An enthusiastic tanker team stirs some dubiously varied but sweet-smelling ingredients into a magic brew whose fragrance wafts through the air, lifting the hearts and spirits of those below. The festive music that the creatures play spreads joy as decorations rain down, and “every bauble, bow, and strand / creates a Christmas wonderland.” The rhythm occasionally falters, but the robust rhymes keep the stock rolling. Rinker’s text avoids the commercial side of Christmas, instead highlighting the emotional meaning of the holiday—“what you cannot hold or touch,” “laughter, love, and memories,” “the joy of friends and families,” and “faith in what is strong and sure”—as the train circles the Earth, “wreathed / in peace and love.” The illustrations bring dazzling magic to the narrative, with stars and snowflakes early on, then gusts of golden glitter—the freight carried and showered down—giving a sparkle to every page.
A starry and heartfelt journey that will carry many rapt children through pre-Christmas bedtimes. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781797227030
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
High-quality, inclusive illustrations make this one stand out.
From the changing season to decorations and costumes, children anticipate Halloween.
Little readers will enjoy all of the familiar markers of the season included in this book: falling leaves, jack-o’-lanterns, Halloween costumes, candy, and trick-or-treating. Everett’s rhyming couplets bob along safely, offering nothing that will wow but enough to keep the pages turning. It’s Wen’s illustrations that give the most to readers, full of bustling scenes and lovely details. A double-page spread of the children in town in front of the candy store includes jars with individually drawn treats and other festive delicacies. The townwide celebration features instruments, creative costumes, and a diverse crowd of people. There are three children who appear as the focus of the illustrations, though there are many secondary characters. One bespectacled White child is drawn in a manual wheelchair, another has dark brown skin, the third presents Asian. The child in the wheelchair is shown as a full participant. Readers will enjoy spotting spooks like a vampire, goblin, and werewolf, as they sometimes appear in the background and other times blend in with the crowd. The familiar trappings of Halloween paired with the robust illustrations will have little readers wanting to reread even if the content itself is not startlingly new.
High-quality, inclusive illustrations make this one stand out. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0586-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
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