WE WISH FOR A MONSTER CHRISTMAS

A sister and brother ask Santa for their own furry monster for Christmas, causing mayhem in their household after the holiday.

The unnamed siblings decide on a “furzilla,” described in a catalog of designer monsters on the front endpapers. The older sister and her brother plan how they will care for their monster, and Santa promises he will deliver on their request despite their parents’ objections. The huge, hairy beast is friendly to the children, but he eats furniture, destroys the playroom, and blows his nose on the mother’s dress. He is banished to the backyard, where he successfully serves as a night guard and garden helper. The children think about asking Santa for monkeys the following Christmas, with a final, wordless spread showing the havoc multiple monkeys might cause. While the concept and plot progression are humorous, the rhyming text is rather stilted, with a singsong rhythm and some scansion problems; it's meant to be sung to the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," but readers may find that a challenge. The family is multiracial: the father is white, and the mother has brown skin and straight, black hair. Minor characters include adults and children of different ethnicities. The children are appealing characters, but the monster is rather a furry blob who doesn’t quite come to life.

A humorous concept held back by uneven verse and a less-than-memorable monster.