Katz and Catrow continue their successful Silly Dilly Songs series with this collection of 15 parodies of familiar Christmas songs. The rewritten songs range from slightly silly to somewhat gross, but most provide the sort of irreverent humor beloved by children in elementary school. Highlights include “Snowball Fight” to the tune of “Jingle Bells,” “At the Malls” to the tune of “Deck the Halls” and “Where Did They Hide My Presents?” to the tune of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The entry that seems destined to become a new schoolyard hit is “Something in My Brother’s Underpants,” (don’t ask) to the tune of “Winter Wonderland.” Catrow’s loose watercolor-and-ink illustrations add more humor to each song with splatting snowballs, quirky animals and big-eared kids with funny faces. Brave music teachers might want to try some of these new versions to liven up the annual holiday concert, and some parents might even introduce this as a unique diversion on the long drive over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-689-86214-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2005
This heavily earnest celebration of multi-ethnicity combines full-bleed paintings of smiling children, viewed through a golden haze dancing, playing, planting seedlings, and the like, with a hyperbolic, disconnected text—``Dark as leopard spots, light as sand,/Children buzz with laughter that kisses our land...''— printed in wavy lines. Literal-minded readers may have trouble with the author's premise, that ``Children come in all the colors of the earth and sky and sea'' (green? blue?), and most of the children here, though of diverse and mixed racial ancestry, wear shorts and T-shirts and seem to be about the same age. Hamanaka has chosen a worthy theme, but she develops it without the humor or imagination that animates her Screen of Frogs (1993). (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-688-11131-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1994
A charming illustration of childhood memories during the holiday season.
A colorful wintry tale ushers in Chinese New Year over two weeks.
In this picture book, the narrator recounts with nostalgia an observance of the traditional New Year in rural northern China. The snow-covered village bustles with activity as folks venture out to greet relatives and friends. “On the third day, uncles started giving LANTERNS” refers to an old custom in provincial Shaanxi—especially among maternal uncles. Palpable and immediate are Zhao Di’s eager anticipation and the care with which she “walk[s] through the snow with her lantern in case she slipped or the candle blew out in the wind.” Simple yet vivid close-ups depict Zhao Di and her friends, bundled head to toe and comparing lantern designs—accordion, watermelon, etc.—while braving the cold and a bunch of rowdy boys. All too soon, the 15th day arrives, signaling the end of the New Year celebrations. In a pivotal spread that shows Zhao Di sitting with her dog and chickens, readers are granted an interior view of the architecture and layout of a rustic farmhouse. In addition, the villagers’ various clothing styles, headdresses, and skin tones suggest the region’s diverse ethnicities and socio-economic landscapes. As the story concludes with the obligatory smashing and burning of the lanterns, Zhao Di comforts herself with the hopeful thought of lighting new lanterns next year.
A charming illustration of childhood memories during the holiday season. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2984-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Amazon Crossing Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
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