JINGLE BELLS, HOMEWORK SMELLS

Everyone knows how difficult it is to get everything done at Christmastime because there are so many distractions. In this very human-like community of animals, Gilbert, a possum, is a good student who always does his homework, but the assignment to draw a picture of the main character from a favorite book is one that he honestly forgets because there were cookies to create and a tree to decorate. Plus he can’t stop daydreaming about the Red Racer Speed Sled he’s hoping to get from Santa. On Monday Gilbert is horrified when he realizes he will have to go to school empty-handed, so he tries the old “fake illness” routine, but is not able to fool his mom. As he’s walking to school he really does have a stomachache thinking about his teacher’s reaction. Gilbert comes up with a clever plan that temporarily satisfies the teacher, so she gives him one more day to finish the assignment correctly. When he gets home there is no procrastination and he immediately draws a picture of Saint Nick, who has the Red Racer Speed Sled in hand, from The Night Before Christmas. The next day the drawing gets a happy-face sticker and Gilbert gets a happy face too. DeGroat’s cute characters are colorfully appealing to young children and are realistic, in a furry sort of way. Details of everyday life (check out the cat clock in the kitchen) help to reinforce the connection between Gilbert’s world and the world of the reader. This latest will tickle those who have met Gilbert in Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink; Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet; and Happy Birthday to You, You Belong in a Zoo. (Picture book. 4-8)