Very flavorful; young readers will savor every crumb.
Ghosts and monsters are known to scare folks at Halloween, but…cookies?
After being touched by a stream of magical moonlight, seven very mischievous, colorful, decorated-for-Halloween biscuits escape their tin and make their way out into the street, having already frightened Little Monster and Doggy. They shout “BOO!” at everything they meet. Lamppost? Check. Car? Check. Fireflies in a jar? Yep, them, too. And so it goes, the cookies BOO-ing at all the creatures they encounter, including a witch’s black cat. After a too-close brush with a hungry predator, the cookies manage to effect a quick escape—no crumbling here—and all ends boo-tifully in their favor. This adorable story is conveyed in lilting, rollicking rhymes that zing along with minimal text per page. Its original take on a Halloween theme and its cute “Gingerbread Man” vibe will entertain and delight young readers. The scenes on the final pages will keep kids guessing about what might happen next for Little Monster and the cookies. The delicious (in more ways than one) illustrations are charming, comical, and inventive, the cookies’ decorations providing clever inspiration for holiday-themed baking. Strong, crisp lines and colors encourage readers’ focus on characters and actions. Shiny colored foil on the book’s cover enhances visual excitement.
Very flavorful; young readers will savor every crumb. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-286956-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
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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