Awash in the true Yuletide spirit.
An ice storm that dashes a young boy’s holiday plans also helps him find a connection to the first Christmas.
Pale-skinned Aiden’s been counting down on his Advent calendar—one more day till his grandparents arrive, two more until the church Nativity play (he’ll be playing the Star of Bethlehem), and three more until Christmas! But that night, it snows. The icy roads mean Grandma and Grandpa can’t travel. Worst of all, downed power lines mean no electricity or heat—and no play. But the family members fill their days with quiet merriment: reading stories, eating meals by candlelight. On Christmas Eve morning, Aiden and his father brave the icy urban sidewalks to buy coffee and doughnuts and spend the day delivering the treats to neighbors in their diverse community before the whole family heads to a spontaneous Christmas Eve potluck dinner. As the night winds down, Aiden’s mom retells the story of the Nativity, and Aiden finds special meaning in the tale: Were Joseph and Mary scared? Hungry? Cold? Did they appreciate the kindness of their newfound community? Filled with warmth and joy, Aiden hears the voice of angels: “Don’t be afraid. God is with you.” Alary caps her earnestly told narrative with an author’s note about her own stormy Christmas experience. Richly colored cartoon illustrations capture the silvery ice of the storm and bathe Aiden’s shadowy world with a tender glow.
Awash in the true Yuletide spirit. (activities) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9798889830153
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beaming Books
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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BOOK REVIEW
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