A quiet, deeply satisfying celebration of the turn of the year and the joy of community.
A young woman harnesses two Percheron horses for a magical sleigh ride on New Year’s Eve.
Archer’s signature scenes set the mood with snowy fields dotted with groupings of trees; an illustration of one of the trees features graceful limbs encircled with collaged images of music notes. Readers follow sheep and Jenny into the barn at dusk as she leads the strong, black horses to the sleigh, attaches bells to their bridles, and turns on the lights outlining four rows of seats. MacLachlan, deftly crafting her narrative with a minimum of well-chosen words, provides the sensory details. Text is presented in blocks of free verse: “The breaths of Tim and / Tom make silver clouds. / The sleigh makes a / whisper sound in the / snow—a comforting / swish, swish, swish.” En route, the vehicle gathers children, some of whom trumpet their excitement from a front porch before hopping aboard. When their turn is over, the elders get a ride, laughing and talking, remembering their own childhood snow play, presented in a sequence of vignettes. Changes in light and perspective maintain interest, as do the patterns of the snowflakes and the starbursts glowing from streetlamps. The warm palette and bold designs of the papers used to depict fabric and floor planks contrast beautifully with the smooth coolness of the wintry landscape. Jenny is brown-skinned; the other characters are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A quiet, deeply satisfying celebration of the turn of the year and the joy of community. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-7355-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
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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