Polacco presents another offering in her series of nostalgic Christmas stories set in snowy Michigan of yesteryear, this time in the 1930s.
Trisha and her older brother, Richie, live with their schoolteacher mother and their grandfather on the family farm. Their grandmother has recently died, and a new housekeeper arrives to help, in more ways than just by doing housework. Richie resents the new addition to the household, but Kay Lamity is a whirlwind of a character who can charm a sad boy, whip up a dinner and make angels out of corn husks, quick as you can say smart-talkin’, larger-than-life folk hero. Why, that Kay Lamity can “stare down an armadilla while dancin’ on the back of a wild boar.” As the Christmas season unfolds, Richie tells his younger sister that Santa isn’t real, upsetting the girl and threatening to ruin Christmas. Kindly, Kay helps the children regain their belief in Santa and start to accept the death of their grandmother and the impending sale of the farm. Polacco’s distinctive illustrations are filled with the usual cozy kitchens, snowy farm scenes and appealing children, but it’s Kay Lamity who stands out as the shining star of this touching, longer story. The story has humor, deeper meaning and a mystery as to Kay Lamity’s true identity. (Sharp-eyed readers will note that Kay bears a striking resemblance to Polacco’s photo on the jacket flap!) (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-399-16094-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2013
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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BOOK REVIEW
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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