A cheery Christmas charmer focused on family traditions.
What brightens a room at Christmas like a sparkling tree?
A family gathers to decorate their tree; the cat involves itself, too. The young narrator, Della Rose Santiago, proudly displays several ornaments, providing their backstories and reminding readers that Christmas centers on family memories, lore, history, and traditions. Della Rose shows off “my first-ever ornament,” a flowery yellow one given when the child was born. Another ornament, shaped like a pair of skates, was Mom’s when she was a child; a stained-glass angel adorned Daddy and Mom’s first tree together. This sweet tale is also potentially a helpful guidebook to tree decoration, as it offers some useful ideas for readers: Della Rose presents a pine cone—a souvenir from the family’s first camping trip—and points out, “Anything can be an ornament.” A brand-new ornament this year was purchased in honor of and bears the name of Della Rose’s infant sibling: a family tradition literally newly born. This warm tale will brighten spirits with its depiction of a close-knit family happily engaged in a meaningful routine. The colorful, cozy illustrations, created with papers, textiles, embroidery thread, and craft supplies, aptly suit the theme and have a lovely, tactile feeling—who doesn’t love touching glittery Christmas trinkets? Della Rose is tan-skinned, while Mom is light-skinned, and Daddy presents Asian; ornaments from relatives from Japan and the Philippines are referenced, too.
A cheery Christmas charmer focused on family traditions. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9780735268586
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2023
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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