A Christmas tale that humorously imparts a teamwork lesson that can be practiced all year long.
A holiday rivalry turns into a recipe for success.
A powder blue goblin with huge eyes looks right at readers and bemoans the fact that elves hog the holiday spotlight and that everyone thinks they are perfect. After all, goblins officiate at the Great Sock Slug Race, participate in Pigeon Plucking Day, and support Taco Tuesdays! And goblins work hard, too. The protagonist decides to go to the North Pole and prove once and for all that goblins are just as capable as elves. The goblin tries caring for reindeer, wrapping presents, and making toys, with disastrous but funny results. Being an elf is difficult until the goblin learns the secret: T.O.Y.S., or “Teamwork Optimizes Your Success.” Careful observation of the colorful, appealing Christmas-themed illustrations shows the goblin working alone at the beginning of the book while the elves collaborate. But after trying T.O.Y.S., the Goblin successfully completes some tasks that previously presented a challenge. In the end, the goblin embraces T.O.Y.S., or is that toys? The goblin is a relatable protagonist, and the story contains a solid message. Adults will chuckle at references to the Keebler-esque elf who bakes cookies in a hollow tree, the Elf on the Shelf, and the three elves associated with the “world’s loudest cereal.” The elves are depicted with an assortment of skin and hair tones. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A Christmas tale that humorously imparts a teamwork lesson that can be practiced all year long. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781665921794
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 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
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
