With elements of magical realism, this story offers a creative, challenging exploration of a Christmas journey.
An adventurous little girl and her younger brother act out the Nativity story with friendly animals in a snow-covered, mysterious land in this intriguing story originally published in Switzerland.
The girl, Kelly, and her brother, Franklin, set out from home with a sleigh full of wood pieces, pulled by a sheep. As Kelly and Franklin pretend they are Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, they move into a strange, snowy world with more animals gradually joining in as the story unfolds. The sleigh and wood magically transform into a stable, and the part of Baby Jesus is played by a white rabbit. Three adults in furry robes arrive at the stable, and though the trio is greeted as the Three Kings, they might also be Father Christmas and the children’s parents. They all leave together by sled and sleigh, heading for a brightly lit farm in the distance. The family’s home? The North Pole? Much in this story is open to interpretation, which will delight some young readers and confuse others. Watercolor and ink illustrations add to the mysterious atmosphere with tiny figures set against vast backgrounds of snow or skies glowing with special starlight.
With elements of magical realism, this story offers a creative, challenging exploration of a Christmas journey. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4088-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: Oct. 2, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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