A tale of Christmas cheer hampered by a problematic takeaway.
One teacher knits up a minor miracle.
Fresh snow on the day before Christmas vacation means a fun-filled, extra-long recess for Miss Mary’s class. But the event falls well below the beloved teacher’s expectations—the snow angels have no wings, and the hockey game is short-lived. The reason? All the children have to tuck their cold hands into their coat pockets. So Miss Mary, who loves to knit her own clothes, decides to make mittens for all the students for Christmas, but the store is out of yarn. Determined, she rushes home and unravels her own gloves, plus her hat and scarf. Realizing that’s not enough yarn for 20 pairs of mittens, she raids the rest of her house for more material. For two days, she knits and knits. On Christmas morning, the students find wrapped packages on their front steps. They pause their excited outdoor play to thank Miss Mary. Though the story focuses on the holiday’s values of giving and gratitude, it positions the best teachers as angelic, sacrificing miracle workers—a rosy perspective at odds with the efforts of actual, overworked educators. Andriani’s artwork has a classic feel, in the inked-cartoon vein of Peggy Parish’s Amelia Bedelia (1963), illustrated by Fritz Siebel. The book includes instructions, aimed at intermediate knitters, for making a mitten ornament. Among a racially diverse class and small town, Miss Mary is light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A tale of Christmas cheer hampered by a problematic takeaway. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5341-1167-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
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
BOOK REVIEW
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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