Charming.
A winsome Yuletide story translated from the Swedish presents Grump, a tomte, or house gnome, who traditionally brings presents to children.
Grump, however, is as his name implies, fairly grumpy, what with a sleepy bee who needs looking after, his mittens and red hat swept away in the wind, and the sign on his cottage nibbled by a squirrel. Deciding not to celebrate Christmas at all, he retreats to his favorite book, In Praise of Solitude. Meanwhile, two young members of a multigenerational rabbit clan that lives nearby find his hat and the sign. Mystified, they take the items to the other animals of the forest, who tell the rabbits about the tomte and Christmas (not always completely). So the rabbit family decides to prepare for the arrival of the Yule Tomte. There are 25 short chapters in the story, one for each day of Advent, and even though American readers may not know about the Swedish tradition, they will enjoy this bunny family’s sweet anticipation. Two of the more adventurous young bunnies finally bring the tomte to their celebration, and he in turn provides a lovely surprise for all. The illustrations are very much in the softly colored, muted Scandinavian tradition.
Charming. (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-178250-136-7
Page Count: 101
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2014
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre.
Ice princess Lina must navigate family and school in this early chapter read.
The family picnic is today. This is not a typical gathering, since Lina’s maternal relatives are a royal family of Windtamers who have power over the weather and live in castles floating on clouds. Lina herself is mixed race, with black hair and a tan complexion like her Asian-presenting mother’s; her Groundling father appears to be a white human. While making a grand entrance at the castle of her grandfather, the North Wind, she fails to successfully ride a gust of wind and crashes in front of her entire family. This prompts her stern grandfather to ask that Lina move in with him so he can teach her to control her powers. Desperate to avoid this, Lina and her friend Claudia, who is black, get Lina accepted at the Hilltop Science and Arts Academy. Lina’s parents allow her to go as long as she does lessons with grandpa on Saturdays. However, fitting in at a Groundling school is rough, especially when your powers start freak winter storms! With the story unfurling in diary format, bright-pink–highlighted grayscale illustrations help move the plot along. There are slight gaps in the storytelling and the pacing is occasionally uneven, but Lina is full of spunk and promotes self-acceptance.
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-35393-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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