A CHRISTMAS ADVENT STORY
by Ivy Snow ; illustrated by Hannah Tolson
Two children count down the days to Christmas in this British lift-the-flap book.
Flaps numbered from 1 to 25 hide surprises for the children as they ice-skate, go Christmas shopping, and sing carols in anticipation of the holiday. Readers are invited to “find the flaps” and participate in the activities along with the child protagonists and their dog. The text appears in a variety of playful types and sizes. “Who is hiding behind the tree?” curves above a flap with a picture of a tree, behind which is a deer. Each flap hides both an image and associated vocabulary word. Some flaps take some looking to find, adding to the fun. The boy and girl could be siblings or friends—one is brown-skinned with curly hair; the other, white-skinned with long braids. The mixed-media illustrations in clear, solid colors often have the look of crayon and colored pencil and will appeal to youngsters. Characters and other figures look as though they could have been cut from paper, resembling a child’s own artwork. There are lots of things to find on all of the colorful, nicely designed pages in addition to what’s behind the flaps. The hustle and bustle of a busy household and community will be familiar to children.
A lovely, playful way to share the Advent season.
(Picture book. 2-5)