An old-fashioned Christmas season in a New England village is the theme of Tudor’s latest installment about Corgiville, her fictional town inhabited by her favorite Corgi dogs, as well as by rabbits, cats, and chickens. She introduces three new animal families to the village, following them as they move into new homes and start their own businesses: a haberdashery and a combination apothecary and soda fountain. She includes borders around many pages with period kitchen utensils and vintage artifacts such as a hand-cranked ice-cream freezer and goat-drawn peddler carts. This tour through the village is followed by holiday preparations and celebrations, many based on Tudor’s own childhood memories or experiences with her own children and pets. With this story, Tudor uses a more muted, impressionistic style for her watercolor paintings, which is better suited to the panoramic scenes of the snowy village than to the detailed illustrations of the insides of shops and homes. Those who love Tudor’s reverent homage to yesteryear will enjoy spending time in snowy Corgiville for the holiday season. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2003
ISBN: 1-932425-00-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2003
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An unusual, funny take on the typical Halloween story—and a reminder to dress appropriately.
Even monsters need help in nasty weather.
It’s Halloween; a boy dons his Frankenstein’s-monster get-up. But whenever he tries to step outside, his parents stop him to hand over inclement-weather duds: galoshes, scarf, parka, earmuffs. By his third attempt, he’s burdened with a camping lamp, fanny pack, and snack. The kid finally roars, “FRANKENSTEIN DOESN’T WEAR EARMUFFS!” and exasperatedly chucks everything. Finally outdoors, he sees costumed kids bundled up. Conceding his parents were right, the kid gratefully accepts the warm clothes, then joins fellow tricksters. This humorous tale establishes a rollicking pattern, juxtaposing opening atmospheric, holiday-themed rhymes accompanied by spooky, painterly illustrations with a more cartoony style for the rhyming admonitions from the boy’s parents when adding to his wardrobe. The dark verses are interrupted strategically with page turns introduced by capitalized grown-up warnings in speech balloons: “HOLD IT!” When the spooky rhymes/illustrations resume, they comically depict/describe Frankenstein wearing his newly acquired garb, then eventually cease altogether when the verses describe only kid, accoutrements, and his unprotected misery outdoors. Fortunately, his parents have followed with the necessary gear. Neither they nor other adults join the trick-or-treaters, however, a depiction of adult concern that some may wish had been included. The bouncy rhymes read and scan well; the humorous, energetic artwork very ably serves the text. The boy and parents (the grown-ups are faceless) have brown skin; other youngsters are diverse.
An unusual, funny take on the typical Halloween story—and a reminder to dress appropriately. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-294114-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
A pinktypical bit of problem-solving with a holiday theme.
Pinkalicious turns a “Secret Snowman” gift from fashion disaster to fab in this easy reader outing.
Joining a recent spate of holiday celebrations that never actually mention a specific holiday, the episode begins when Pinkalicious pulls classmate Molly’s name from the bowl at school and decides to knit her a “pinkamazing” sweater. Unfortunately, the project is beyond Pinkalicious’ knitting powers, and the finished result is a sad mess. What to do? Enter Dad, on his way to an “ugly holiday sweater party” at work…and the next day Molly is delightedly modeling a sweater so encrusted with garland, pompoms, candy, and small ornaments that the ragged original is transformed. In no time Pinkalicious is teaching the entire class, including Ms. Penny, the teacher, how to knit and decorate holiday scarves and other small projects because: “ ’Tis the season to make everything sparklerrific!” In similarly oblique visual nods to certain December festivities, the sedate, finely detailed illustrations feature a gaudy evergreen on Dad’s sweater and a brown-skinned classmate knitting, and then rocking, a red, green, and black scarf. Pinkalicious presents as White (as do Ms. Penny, Mom, Dad, and brother Peter), Molly presents as Black, and the class is racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A pinktypical bit of problem-solving with a holiday theme. (Early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-300388-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
