MONSTER CHRISTMAS

A pre-Christmas ski trip slaloms into a series of wild escapades in this import from a prolific French graphic novelist.

Depicted with the heads of birds (cockatoos, perhaps?) in Trondheim’s unframed panels, young Jean, her brother Petey and their parents drive off to the mountains—unsuccessfully trying to leave their huge, green, four-armed pet monster Kriss behind. Whom should they meet while tootling up the wintry road than Santa himself (also sporting a bird’s head), pursued by an orange monster even bigger than Kriss and perfectly willing to eat anyone who crosses its path. Nonstop flights, rescues, downhill slides, avalanches and chases by more hungry monsters ensue. Captioned by the children’s tandem, chatty narrative, the art offers small figures engaged in snowy slapstick as they flee or (with Santa’s help) fly from danger…arriving, ultimately, back home to discover a decorated tree surrounded by wrapped gifts including, for Kriss, a full-size candy-vending machine.

Nothing says “Christmas” like monsters.