Compromise and collaboration are the keys to holiday joy in this inviting outing.
What’s the merriest time for a kitty-corn? Christmastime!
Kitty is thrilled to share the holiday season with her new bestie, Unicorn. Previous books saw Kitty longing to be a unicorn and Unicorn wishing he could be a cat; together, these “kitty-corns,” as they dub themselves, are determined to have the best Christmas ever. Unicorn’s favorite part of the season is the music, but his tunes put Kitty to sleep. Kitty adores making gingerbread houses, but Unicorn’s messy creation ends up knocking over Kitty’s gingerbread village. Determined to agree on something, they decide that a tree is actually the best part of Christmas. Though Kitty prefers a smaller tree, she assumes Unicorn wants a huge one. The two attempt to decorate their unwieldy tree, with predictably messy results. Both friends are disheartened, but eventually they realize that they have plenty in common after all as they nestle together for more carols and cocoa. This latest saga relies on the ingredients that made the earlier installments pure magic: BFFs who support each other despite conflict, commentary from pals Gecko and Parakeet (who serve as a sort of Greek chorus), and kitty-corn sweetness. In Pham’s airy illustrations, big-eyed pink Kitty sports a unicorn’s horn, while Unicorn wears kitty cat ears. An original Christmas carol, with music, rounds out the package.
Compromise and collaboration are the keys to holiday joy in this inviting outing. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9781419768798
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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
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