Frenzied fun for everyone.
A fluffle of raucous bunnies saves Christmas.
The elves have eaten too many candy canes and can’t help Santa deliver the presents. Luckily, some bunnies happen to be sledding by and eagerly jump into Santa’s sleigh to assist. “Bunnies in a sleigh! / Bunnies in a sleigh! / Laughing and a-joking / as they head for Christmas Day!” Covered in chimney soot from top to tail, the bunnies hop around giving gifts to various animals, even donning scuba gear to make sure the octopus family isn’t left out. Another intriguing stop is the prison, where they give presents to the incarcerated squirrels, who deserve them, too (though perhaps not the gift-wrapped key). In tumultuous, lilting rhyme that tumbles from one page to the next, Ardagh expertly captures the frenetic energy of these gift-giving cottontails. Each bunny also has distinctive attire, so eagle-eyed readers can spot the individuals and follow them through Mantle’s vibrant scenes, seeing personalities unfold through their actions. Reminding readers that this is a British import, Santa’s sleigh travels through some famous London landmarks, narrowly missing Big Ben and flying over Trafalgar Square. Fans of the protagonists’ earlier outings—Bunnies on the Bus (2020) and Bunnies in a Boat (2023)—will be pleased. Santa presents white, and the elves are a diverse bunch.
Frenzied fun for everyone. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9781536235494
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
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
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