NOT UNTIL CHRISTMAS, WALTER!
by Eileen Christelow & illustrated by Eileen Christelow
From the author of What Do Authors Do? (1995), etc., three thin stories that appear in picture-book form, divided into chapters and with dialogue right out of an easy reader. Industrious Louise makes Christmas gifts for the members of her household, then shops for a dog biscuit for her dog, Walter. Overnight he ruins all the packages looking for his gift. Louise's ire lasts until the middle of the second story, when she gets lost while the family looks for a Christmas tree in the woods, and Walter finds her. In the third story, Walter witnesses Santa's visit and gets an extra bone. Although the illustrations brim with cheer, the book's content will satisfy only the youngest, most unquestioning readers; the characters lack personality, and the first and funniest incident can't support the other, flatter episodes. (Picture book. 3-6)