A readable, mildly amusing story, but the message is obvious and the motivation is lacking.
A family with the last name of Christmas celebrates the holiday in over-the-top style, but their daughter Mary is less than enthusiastic.
The family’s Christmas tree is far too large, they have massive piles of gifts, and their house has so many lights that power to their neighborhood is interrupted. Mary wishes her family’s Christmas were not so lavish, and she tells the department-store Santa all about it. Santa advises her that she needs to find some way to love Christmas herself. On Christmas morning, Mary convinces her family to change their ways, and they pack up their tree, presents, and lights, tying everything on top of their van in comical fashion. They invite everyone in town to a Christmas party, and the community works together to set everything up in a park for a celebration on Christmas night. The story has an obvious message, that excess at Christmas can spoil the holiday, though Santa doesn’t agree with that. There isn’t much underlying motive for Mary’s attitude (it doesn’t seem to be rooted in her name) nor explanation of why her family celebrates to such excess and then abruptly changes. Cartoon-style illustrations in bold colors create a busy, humorous effect with a huge cast of background characters of many ages and ethnicities. The Christmas family and Santa are white.
A readable, mildly amusing story, but the message is obvious and the motivation is lacking. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4677-9261-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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