Santa Claus as a Sami woodcarver? Why not, suggests Steven in this affable concoction that finds a Laplander in Bethlehem. A woodcarver spends the long Arctic nights fashioning useful items from wood, but one winter notices a star that has appeared, bigger than any he has ever seen. As winter dwindles, the woodcarver harnesses his reindeer and follows the star, all the way to that well-known manger, bartering his carved objects along the way. By the time he locates the manger, all he has left is a wooden star. This he gives to the child: "It is all I have, but I give it in thanks for finding you. I shall never forget this night." In the child's presence, the woodcarver's tattered homespun is transformed into a familiar-looking red outfit. Then it is back to Lapland to start a tradition of midwinter giving. Steven's notion of Santa Claus as a Sami is as logical as any other about this legendary figure, and certainly explains origins of the reindeer, sleigh, and deep cold north where he works. Moon's visually appealing illustrations are remote and stylized; they don't offer any close-ups of the interesting character found in Steven's tale, but delightfully chart his travels. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-8037-2374-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1998
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
Turkey’s in the “kind of trouble where it’s almost Thanksgiving...and you’re the main course.” Accordingly, Turkey tries on disguise after disguise, from horse to cow to pig to sheep, at each iteration being told that he looks nothing like the animal he’s trying to mimic (which is quite true, as Harper’s quirky watercolors make crystal clear). He desperately squeezes a red rubber glove onto his head to pass as a rooster, only to overhear the farmer suggest a poultry plan B when he’s unable to turn up the turkey. Turkey’s horrified expression as he stands among the peppers and tomatoes—in November? Chalk it up to artistic license—is priceless, but his surroundings give him an idea. Good fun, but it may lead to a vegetarian table or two. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-7614-5529-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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