A jolly time for Cretaceous and Christmas lovers alike.
Dinosaurs frolic through the holiday season.
As the book opens, a T. rex known as Santa Claws—the Saint Nicholas of the dinosaur world—dandles a bug-eyed baby Pterosaur while the youngster’s caregiver looks on. The same scene is played out at shopping malls every December, now given a prehistoric twist. Brisk rhyming text riffs on holiday motifs as everyone plays their part. Pachycephalosauruses are the elves, while Pterosaurs pull the sleigh. Snoring Mosasaurs waiting for Santa will induce giggles, while the Gallimimuses trimming the trees are especially endearing. A couple of hiccups in the rhyming text make for awkward moments in a read-aloud (quarrel rhymed with girls, dens paired with begins), but they’re easily overlooked, and the creatures’ exuberance is infectious. The anthropomorphized animals are generally illustrated in gentle browns and greens, except for the Pterosaurs, with their bright orange wings. Pops of red and white in the Santa hats, stockings, and tree decorations create a nice balance between a spotlight on the holiday season and the dinosaurs themselves. Complex dino vocabulary is well integrated into the bouncy verse. Younger kids will enjoy the ride; older children can explore the backmatter, which offers more information on the creatures referenced.
A jolly time for Cretaceous and Christmas lovers alike. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781250909497
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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
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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