FIVE CHRISTMAS FRIENDS

A holiday novelty book for counting from one to five.

Below or beside a number in large font on the verso of each spread is a line of text that begins with that number spelled out in capital letters. The book features small cutout images that little fingers can slide left and right. The cover itself includes a red bird for sliding nestled between a brown-skinned elf and a White Santa. On the next spread, moving Santa’s bemittened hand reveals (at the bottom of the page) a mouse in a window. “TWO chilly snowman friends” toss a snowball; when sliding that snowball, a mouse connected to it skates on a pond of ice. Turn the wheel by the “FOUR happy cardinals” to find items emblematic of the Christmas holiday in a birdhouse window and on the cover of a songbook the birds hold. The mouse shows up on every page, including the final spread where “FIVE flying reindeer” find the mouse behind a door flap. A simple, unobtrusive rhyme scheme, fitting for the attention span of toddlers, avoids an annoying singsong cadence or forced rhyming. The level of information is well suited for youngsters already familiar with secular Christmas traditions. Though counting to five is appropriate for the youngest toddlers, the five action elements may not be enough to maintain interest beyond the first reading.

Useful in libraries, day cares, and homes where nonreligious Christmas board books are in demand.