A fun and meaningful holiday story wrapped up in a heartwarming package.
Tiring of his life as the famous Christmas gift-giver, Santa tries out other careers.
The holiday pressure is really getting to Santa. Fed up with piles of letters to read, reindeer arguments, and Mrs. Claus’ attempts to get him to eat more vegetables, he sends everyone on vacation and looks for a new job. The department store only wants him to play Santa for the customers, he gets a stomachache from eating too many bakery treats, and he gives away all the toy store’s items instead of selling them. While trying his hand at being a mail carrier, Santa encounters a little girl cat who reminds him of the love and joy of being Santa. In this picture book, Santa Claus is a jolly polar bear, and all the characters are animals. The cutesy, cartoon-like illustrations bring the story to life, thanks to sweet details and well-drawn action scenes. A tiny mouse accompanies Santa on his career-finding journey, which makes for a fun find for readers on each page. The story wraps up with a happy ending—a relief to little listeners—and the definitive, reassuring, “It’s not easy being Santa Claus…But there’s no one else I’d rather be!” There’s a nice message about keeping the joy of Christmas at heart, but also that sometimes we need to remind ourselves why we do the things we love. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A fun and meaningful holiday story wrapped up in a heartwarming package. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9780593702871
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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