A CHICK 'N' PUG CHRISTMAS

Lethargic Pug dresses like Santa to celebrate Christmas with his best friend, energetic little Chick, in their third outing together.

Though Pug is dressed in a Santa suit and hat, he can’t summon much enthusiasm for the holiday. Chick, on the other hand, bounces up and down with excitement, declaring that Santa must be a superhero with a sidekick. Inventive Chick swipes a snowman’s green stocking cap in order to dress up as one of Santa’s elves and drags Pug along to try to have a Christmas adventure as superheroes. They give a snowball to a big, shaggy dog, put a jingle-bell necklace on their cranky neighbor cat and assist a squirrel in his acorn-gathering efforts. To pretend to return to the North Pole, they use a snow shovel as a makeshift sled, sliding down a huge hill and catching air. The final page shows Pug and Chick silhouetted against a full moon, appearing to fly, with three children looking out their window, pointing at Santa. Unfortunately, though Chick is a chipper, enjoyable character, Pug is something of a dud who would rather nap than participate in an interesting plot. Illustrations in acrylics and colored pencil are amusing in their portrayal of Chick’s antics, especially his comical expressions.

Pug needs to retire to the land of unmotivated characters, and Chick deserves his own show next time.