A WARM CHRISTMAS

A white Christmas is a dream come true for Jack—or is it?

Jack has a snow globe that seems to hold his vision of an ideal Christmas setting. The snowy landscape with three evergreen trees contrasts with the tropical place where Jack lives with his family. “Where Jack lived, Christmas was never white,” reads an early spread depicting Jack and his parents outside near large trees, a parrot sitting on a branch, and a dog panting in the heat. Without any explanation, the setting suddenly changes to depict a snowstorm outside as text reads, “One magical Christmas Eve… / Jack’s wish came true!” Is this a dream? Did the snow globe on the table somehow instigate the change in weather? Why does Jack have a long, white-and-red muffler in this warm climate? Such essential plot points go unexplained as Jack ventures outside to play in the winter wonderland. He enjoys himself until he realizes he’s all alone, and then he returns home. Somehow, dumping out the water and snow from his snow globe causes his family to reappear and the landscape to return to its warm, tropical state, affirming that “a warm Christmas is the best kind of Christmas there is.” Jack and his family present white. Instructions for a DIY snow globe follow.

Hard to follow and likely to leave readers cold.