Lacking some of the charm of the longer books, this introduction to the world of the Doll People will still cultivate...
The beloved Doll People series of novels for middle graders extends to a younger audience with this Christmas story.
The Doll family of eight tiny, old-fashioned dolls belongs to a girl named Kate, who has custody of the family-heirloom dolls and their furnished Victorian dollhouse. Her younger sister, Nora, has her own modern, plastic dollhouse with a family of five plastic dolls, the Funcrafts. The dolls move and talk at night when the humans are asleep, and the daughters of the two families, Annabelle Doll and Tiffany Funcraft, are best friends. Annabelle is upset when Kate breaks the angel topper for the tiny dollhouse Christmas tree; this will upset her plans for a traditional Christmas. Further complicating things, Kate and Nora take all the dolls to their own living room and dress them as figures for their family Nativity scene, and minor plot difficulties ensue. Christmas morning brings filled stockings for the doll children, with a new star ornament for the dollhouse Christmas tree. Full-color illustrations and a large trim size create an overall contemporary milieu, in contrast to the black-and-white, nostalgic illustrations in the Doll People chapter books. All the human and doll characters are white; Annabelle Doll’s blue-green hair may well provoke puzzlement.
Lacking some of the charm of the longer books, this introduction to the world of the Doll People will still cultivate younger fans. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-2339-5
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
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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
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
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