Seeger’s tricks are readers’ treats.
Dog and Bear return just in time for Halloween.
Halloween is coming, and the duo goes to find costumes. Dog is hilarious as a mustard-topped hot dog, while Bear has selected a superhero outfit. In the dressing room, Bear spots his reflection in the mirror but mistakenly thinks it is another bear that looks exactly like him. When Bear invites Dog to investigate, they come to the same wrong conclusion. The second chapter finds Dog and Bear at home on Halloween night. The doorbell rings again and again, and each time Dog enthusiastically answers the door. When the visitors ask “Trick or treat,” Dog answers, “Treat, of course” and then takes the candy. (His accumulating pile is awe-inspiring.) In the final chapter, the pals are out trick-or-treating. At the house they approach, a person dressed as a ghost answers the door. The ghost refuses to give them any treats, as they are not properly costumed. But the trick is on him, because Dog and Bear are certainly dressed up—as each other! All the elements that have made these series titles such a hit are here: a generous trim size, brightly colored illustrations executed with acrylics and ink against generous white space and easy-to-read, dialogue-driven text. It’s equally appealing as a read-aloud for the preschool set or as a well-formatted reader for children practicing their new skills.
Seeger’s tricks are readers’ treats. (Early reader/picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-59643-632-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Neal Porter/Roaring Brook
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2014
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
In the market for an understated Christmas classic? Behold! A Christmas miracle!
A dynamic picture-book duo turn their attention to one of the great mysteries of our time.
For those literal-minded children out there, this book serves to answer some essential questions about basic Santa-related logistics. We all know that Santa is supposed to go down the chimney to deliver gifts, but how? “Does he cinch up his belt? Or shrink himself down to the size of a mouse?” That particular speculation is accompanied by an image of a small Santa standing on the edge of a chimney looking down into the abyss. Synched perfectly with Barnett’s gentle yet hilarious questions and often silly propositions (“Or does he slip through the pipes and come out of your faucet?”), Klassen’s tan-skinned Santa is as funny and expressionless as a bearded Buster Keaton. Curiosity runs wild as Barnett ponders everything from Santa doing the laundry in children’s basements to his ability to get along with every household dog he meets, while Klassen’s there to bring each possibility to life. Don’t look for any definitive answers in this story, though. As the last line states, “Santa goes up the chimney the same way he comes down. And I have no idea how Santa does that. But I’m so glad he can.” For all that it leans heavily on absurdity, this book exhibits some serious heart. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
In the market for an understated Christmas classic? Behold! A Christmas miracle! (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781536223767
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
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