A delightful, inclusive, modern-day depiction of holiday celebrations with a family of choice.
An overview of a contemporary Thanksgiving spent with friends.
Arranged chronologically in sections ranging from “Friends Travel” and “Friends Prepare” to “Friends Help” and “Friends Love,” the bustling scenes are filled with people baking, making paper turkeys from traced hands, attending a parade, watching or playing football, feasting, and, at last, cleaning up. There are no references to pilgrims here; rather, the inclusive compositions feature characters who vary in skin tone, hairstyles, and facial features enjoying one another’s company and the holiday’s bounty. The warm, autumnal designs are reminiscent of Grandma Moses’ domestic tableaux with their disregard of traditional perspective in favor of showing everyone and everything, particularly in the views around the dinner tables. The text is descriptive and sensory, although without much attention to cadence: “Someone brought a card table. / The neighbors borrowed chairs. / It’s snug around our mismatched feast. / We wouldn’t have it any other way.” Judging from an image of what appears to be a Macy’s-esque parade, the urban setting is New York City and its environs. Rather than focusing on a single protagonist, the story centers on the hustle and bustle of the group. A nice touch involves first responders, health care personnel, and others who have to work receiving gratitude and treats.
A delightful, inclusive, modern-day depiction of holiday celebrations with a family of choice. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780593649923
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property.
Since a reformed Grinch is hardly any fun, this follow-up Grinches him up once more.
Those seeking more of the same, prepare to receive precisely that. Christmas is coming (again!), and the Grinch can hardly wait. He’s been patient all year, and now he can finally show the Whos down in Who-ville how much he’s changed. When the Grinch learns of a tree-decorating contest, he figures that if he wins, it’ll prove he truly has the Christmas spirit. He throws himself into the task, but when it comes time to judge the trees, the Grinch is horrified to discover that he’s received only the second-place trophy. Can Cindy-Lou Who find the words to save the day? Replicating many of the original beats and wordplay of the original, this tale feels like less a sequel and more like a vaguely rewritten variation. Meanwhile, Ruiz’s art seeks to bridge the gap between the animated Chuck Jones version of the Grinch and the one depicted in the original book. This thankless task results in a strange uncanny valley between Seuss and Jones but does allow the artist a chance to colorize everything and lend some racial diversity to the Who population (Cindy-Lou is light-skinned). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593563168
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground.
A little red sleigh has big Christmas dreams.
Although the detailed, full-color art doesn’t anthropomorphize the protagonist (which readers will likely identify as a sled and not a sleigh), a close third-person text affords the object thoughts and feelings while assigning feminine pronouns. “She longed to become Santa’s big red sleigh,” reads an early line establishing the sleigh’s motivation to leave her Christmas-shop home for the North Pole. Other toys discourage her, but she perseveres despite creeping self-doubt. A train and truck help the sleigh along, and when she wishes she were big, fast, and powerful like them, they offer encouragement and counsel patience. When a storm descends after the sleigh strikes out on her own, an unnamed girl playing in the snow brings her to a group of children who all take turns riding the sleigh down a hill. When the girl brings her home, the sleigh is crestfallen she didn’t reach the North Pole. A convoluted happily-ever-after ending shows a note from Santa that thanks the sleigh for giving children joy and invites her to the North Pole next year. “At last she understood what she was meant to do. She would build her life up spreading joy, one child at a time.” Will she leave the girl’s house to be gifted to other children? Will she stay and somehow also reach ever more children? Readers will be left wondering. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 31.8% of actual size.)
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72822-355-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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