A simple, heartfelt story about embracing the holiday spirit.
An illustrated book for young readers about the magic of Santa Claus.
A group of young girls learn the truth about Santa in this holiday-themed book. Readers meet Kim, Deborah, Maria, Wanda, and Xyla as they prepare for various celebrations in December. Deborah plans for Hannukah, Maria makes tamales, Kim unearths her mother’s Christmas decorations, Wanda gathers her Kwanzaa kinara and candles, and Xyla counts down to the winter solstice. Despite their different traditions, all the girls are eager to write letters to Santa. Suddenly, Kim’s older sister breaks the news that Santa isn’t real. The shocked girls realize the adults in their lives have been lying to them. The group heads to the mall to disseminate this devastating information with kids waiting in line to visit Santa. There, an elderly woman shares the story of St. Nicholas, a devout fourth-century Christian who used his inheritance to help those in need. After St. Nicholas’ death on December 6, people gave one another gifts to honor his generosity. His story was shared all over the world and evolved into what people now know as Santa Claus. “We are the spirit of Santa,” the old woman concludes. “Adults keep the spirit of Santa alive for their children until they are old enough to know it is now their turn to be Santas for others.” The girls embrace this idea and brainstorm how they can become Santas. They decide to craft handmade gifts for their loved ones. Lee’s cartoon-style illustrations are colorful, bold, and expressive. The author also describes holiday traditions, like the meaning of Kwanzaa candles, in a clear way that young readers will comprehend. Some quips might confuse young readers, however, like when Wanda confronts her parents about Santa; they reply, “Honey, it’s time we talk about fat old white men and the narrative of their benevolence.” While Lee centers diversity in the book, she also falls prey to stereotypes; Kim, who appears to be Asian, receives a math book every Christmas, and her mother speaks broken English. It’s also unclear why children who celebrate Hannukah and Kwanzaa are so fixated on Santa-related (and Christian-adjacent) mythology. The message of generosity, however, is clearly and warmly conveyed.
A simple, heartfelt story about embracing the holiday spirit.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781737563556
Page Count: 78
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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