An uplifting variation of the Nativity story.
Leah, the daughter of an innkeeper, leaves the busy Bethlehem market and notices a silver star above her home; might the shining beacon herald something wonderful?
Roman emperor Augustus has called for a census of the entire Roman world, and many people crowd the streets of Bethlehem in order to be counted. Mesmerized by the bright star, Leah accidentally bumps into the donkey of two pilgrims. The man, Joseph, and his pregnant wife, Mary, are in need of a place to safely deliver their baby. When Leah’s father notices the woman’s condition, he offers the couple the use of his stable and calls for a neighbor to help Mary. After the baby is born, Leah marvels at the shepherds who visit the child claiming that angels told them he was their long-awaited king and at scholars (not magi) who travel a great distance to present the infant with gifts fit for a king. Though Leah does not factor into the biblical account of the Nativity, readers familiar with the story will find its integrity intact and Leah an accessible, credible witness. The painterly illustrations are presented in cool, vivid colors, depicting the characters with olive skin and dark hair. The characters' faces are expressive, especially the final image of Leah with the baby Jesus. This book pairs well with Katherine Paterson and Lisa Aisato’s The Night of His Birth (2019).
An uplifting variation of the Nativity story. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68464-224-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
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
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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