I DON'T CELEBRATE ANYTHING!

In this picture book, it’s hard to be a little porcupine who doesn’t celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa.

In the yellow light of a chilly morning, Annie worries about the last day of school before winter break. On the ride to school, just as she has dreaded, Annie’s friend Maggie asks about her Christmas tree. Annie doesn’t have one because she doesn’t observe the holiday. Scowling a little, she explains. But throughout the day, kids chatter about Hanukkah, letters to Santa, and Christmas tunes, and the holiday zeal becomes oppressive. The students’ cheerful assumptions grate, and Annie feels lonely, without presents to talk about or holiday spirit. With solitude comes anger. After an outburst, she feels lingering anxiety: Is her porcupine family weird? It’s only when she is at Grandma and Grandpa’s house in the woods with a roaring fire, carrot cake, and moonlit snow that she appreciates that even without holidays, her family spends important quality time together. Neumann’s work is a little long for lap readers—though perhaps it will spark discussions with elementary school students. Still, Annie’s story is likely to resonate with kids who feel upset and frustrated by the centrality and omnipresence of holiday celebrations in social life. Rusu’s lively, warm-toned watercolors and energetic scratchy lines buoy a narrative unafraid of affirming children’s understandable anger at their experiences not being recognized—though the effect of Annie’s bad mood on her peers remains unexplored.

This engaging animal tale affirms that meaningful experiences exist outside holiday festivities.