Christmas

Review: The Christmas Wombat by Jackie French

| Tasha

christmas wombat

The Christmas Wombat by Jackie French, illustrated by Bruce Whatley

The original Diary of a Wombat returns in all of his carrot-munching glory with a Christmas title.  The book starts in a familiar way with a day spent sleeping, scratching, sleeping again, and eating.  But then, a Christmas ornament bops him on the nose.  The wombat gets rid of them.  Then the wombat meets Santa’s reindeer who also like carrots.  They fight a great battle and the wombat wins and after munching more carrots, curls up on the back of Santa’s sleigh. The wombat meets Santa, discovers snowmen with carrot noses, and continues to eat carrots across the world.  The book ends with the same simplicity as the beginning, and with a well-deserved nap.

French has an exquisite sense of timing in her text.  When I read the first book to my son, it quickly became one of his all-time favorites.  Finding a Christmas book with that same feel and humor to it was a highlight of our holiday season so far.  I enjoy reading the books with an Australian accent, since that’s how a wombat would talk, right?  And they are a delight to share aloud.  The timing of the humor is naturally conveyed in the writing.

Whatley’s illustrations are great.  They show the pride of the wombat, his unwavering courage even when facing much larger animals, and plenty of humor themselves.  With their larger format and white backgrounds, this picture book can merrily be shared with groups of children.

A great pick for a twist on the regular holiday picture books, this one may call for carrots to be shared afterwards.  Carrots…  Carrots… Carrots… Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Santa Trap by Jonathan Emmett

| Tasha

santa trap

The Santa Trap by Jonathan Emmett, illustrated by Poly Bernatene

Bradley Bartleby was born bad and as he got older, he got even more bad.  Bradley’s parents were immensely rich and gave Bradley everything he wanted because they were scared of him. Every year, Bradley would make an enormous list for Santa Claus but Santa knew about how bad Bradley was and never looked at the list, instead giving him a small token gift of socks.  Even though Bradley’s parents gave him everything he had put on his Christmas list, Bradley hated that Santa himself didn’t give him what he wanted.  So Bradley decided to build a trap for Santa.  He worked on it for a year, until by Christmas Eve his parents had moved out of the house because it was so dangerous.  Now all it would take was Bradley to stay awake and watch the trap work.  But staying up and waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve is notoriously difficult to do.

Emmett has created a holiday picture book with a lot of edge, plenty of weaponry and some pretty spectacular explosions.  This is a holiday book that will appeal to children who feel a bit too old for elves and reindeer.  Happily though, at the heart of the story there really is a Christmas spirit about what the real meaning of Christmas should be.  Emmett though does not let that ruin the fun, delighting in turning Christmas on its ear in this picture book.

The art by Bernatene works so well here.  It has plenty of zing and pop with its bold colors and modern feel.  One just has to look at the cover to know this is not your normal holiday book.  The illustrations were done digitally, adding to the modern feel, but they are also made warmer by brushstrokes showing on the images. 

A dynamic and very funny holiday book that will work particularly well for elementary-aged children who will delight in the weaponry, the trap, and the twist at the end.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from ARC received from Peachtree Publishers.

Review: Grace at Christmas by Mary Hoffman

| Tasha

grace at christmas

Grace at Christmas by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying-Hwa Hu

On the 20th Anniversary of Amazing Grace, Hoffman has written a holiday addition to the series.  Grace loved Christmas even more than her birthday.  She loved acting out the Christmas story and spending time with her family.  This year, they were going to be joined by some new people for their holiday.  The granddaughter of a family friend and her daughter were going to come and stay for a bit.  The daughter was just Grace’s age, but Grace was worried about having them stay.  It didn’t get any better once they arrived and the girl seemed so quiet and shy.  Slowly the two girls become more friendly, and Grace learns that sometimes it’s the unplanned parts of Christmas that bring the most magic.

Hoffman writes with such confidence here.  She knows Grace and her family so well that the stories are sure footed and adept.  The characters too have a sense of reality and place that is the hallmark of a well-written series.  The growth that Grace shows throughout the book is equally well written and the story arc is clear and makes sense both for the sake of the story and the characters.

The art in the book follows the same style as the rest of the series.  It is realistic, colorful, and warm: an inviting mix.  The book celebrates Christmas but the color palette is definitely not limited at all to holiday hues. 

A great holiday addition to a beloved series, this book belongs in all public library collections.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books for Young Readers.

Review: A Christmas Tree for Pyn by Olivier Dunrea

| Tasha

christmas tree for pyn

A Christmas Tree for Pyn by Olivier Dunrea

Little Pyn dreams of having a Christmas tree of their own, but her gruff Papa (who insists that she call him Oother) refuses to have one.  While her father works outside in the woods all day, Pyn tidies up the house.  Through it all, she thinks about a Christmas tree.  When Oother continues to say no to a tree, Pyn decides to handle matters herself.  She waits until her father heads out to work and then dresses herself in warm clothes and takes a small hatchet along with her.  But before she gets far at all, she is up to her waist in snow with more tumbled down and burying her.  Oother rescues her at once, sweeping her up onto his shoulders.  Together the two of them find the perfect tree and bring it home, where Pyn decorates it with all sorts of natural treasures she has saved.  Oother too has something to add to the tree, that speaks to the memory of Pyn’s mother.

Dunrea has managed to create a gruff bear of a father who has trouble expressing his love for his tiny daughter, but that children will understand easily.  There is a palpable love between the two characters though both have trouble voicing it.  It is the warmth in the story, the glue of their small family.  Towards the end of the book, the sorrow of the loss of Pyn’s mother is tangible too.  It is almost achingly there, a physical presence that explains the strained relationship and the reason a Christmas tree is vitally important to them both.

Dunrea’s art is beautifully done with his signature white backgrounds upon which his characters build their lives.  The book is filled with small touches that show the snugness and warmth of their home.  The huge stone fireplace, the cozy slippers, and the steam rising from pots and bowls.  It all creates a family and home.

This book speaks to the heart of the Christmas season, where families grow closer, memories are shared, and a tree becomes more than it could ever seem to be.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Penguin Young Readers Group.

Review: Strega Nona’s Gift by Tomie dePaola

| Tasha

strega nonas gift

Strega Nona’s Gift by Tomie dePaola

In the small Italian village where Strega Nona lives, everyone is busy preparing for the holidays.  They stretch from December 6th and the Feast of San Nicola to January 6th and the Feast of Epifania.  This picture book looks at the various Italian feasts, focusing mostly on the Eve of Epifania where animals are said to be able to get the power of speech.  So all of the people in the village made delicious food for the animals to keep them happy.  However, when Big Anthony realizes that he is eating a simple meal of pasta and not the beautiful food Strega Nona has cooked for the animals, things start to go wrong.  Big Anthony eats the food that was meant for the goat, so she is left with just hay and oats.  Strega Nona uses her magic to send everyone dreams of food that night, but Big Anthony misses out because the goat ate his blanket and he cannot sleep.  In the end, Big Anthony makes everything right again but it takes some holiday luck to make that happen.

dePaola manages to weave the feasts into the storyline deftly, creating a book that shows how some cultures have an extended holiday filled with different sorts of celebrations.  The relationship between Big Anthony and Strega Nona is a large part of the success of this picture book.  Their unique ways with one another adds the spice to the holiday story that it needs.  There is a gentle humor about the story that works well.

As always, the illustrations are simple, humorous and completely appealing.  This is the Stega Nona we have all grown to love, showing her care for her village through her cooking and magic.  It is a quiet sort of Christmas book, one that shows the depth of the holiday season and speaks to more than Santa and gifts.

For families looking for a book that explores a different holiday tradition, this book will be great fun to share and informative too.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Penguin Young Readers Group.

Review: A Christmas Goodnight by Nola Buck

| Tasha

christmas goodnight

A Christmas Goodnight by Nola Buck, illustrated by Sarah Jane Wright

This cozy, quiet Christmas book focuses on the nativity.  Through gently rhyming stanzas, the story of Jesus’ birth is told.  It is woven into a bedtime story where everyone in the nativity tale is told goodnight.  It includes the animals, the angels, the star, the Wise Men, and the shepherds.  Then the book moves to a modern winter scene at a farm where the good night wishes continue to the snow, the hare, and a small nativity set.  This transition is made seamlessly and very successfully, tying the modern Christmas celebration directly to the birth of Jesus. 

Buck has written a book that celebrates the story of the nativity in a way that small children will be able to easily understand.  She successfully ties in a goodnight theme as well as a link to the modern world. 

Wright’s illustrations have a jewel-colored palette and simple lines.  They are modern and yet also honor the traditional, so they work well for this subject.  The simplicity also works well for the very young audience with the washes of color and the clean lines.

A great pick for libraries or families looking for books that celebrate the reason for Christmas in a religious way.  It’s a perfect bedtime read for Christmas Eve.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Lighthouse Christmas by Toni Buzzeo

| Tasha

lighthouse christmas

Lighthouse Christmas by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

Frances and her little brother live with their father on the remote island lighthouse of Ledge Light.  Christmas is coming and neither of them are sure that Santa is going to find them there.  So when the children get offered a boat to the mainland to spend Christmas with their relatives there, they have to think about it.  It does mean a Christmas filled with family and holiday spirit.  But on the other hand, they have to leave their father behind to man the lighthouse.  When a nor’easter blows in though, all of their plans have to be set aside.  The storm blows in a stranger also trapped by the weather.  Now the small family have to create their own Christmas together, with a little help from a plane overhead.

This book is based on the true story of the Flying Santa Service, which still continues today to serve the isolated islands in Maine’s Penobscot Bay.   The story has a wonderful, warm feeling of home.  It touches on Christmases spent after losing a loved one as well as Christmases in new homes.  The story also moves from the quiet of the family life to the drama of the storm and then the clearing after the storm passes.  It makes for a pleasing story arc. 

Carpenter’s illustrations help create the warmth of the book.  Done in a traditional style, they work well to also emphasize the story arc.  The story is obviously set in the earlier part of the 20th century, thanks to the clothing and the furniture.  Delicate lines and color washes add to the vintage feel of the illustrations.

An old-fashioned Christmas story, this is a great pick for those looking for an emphasis on family and reality rather than Santa and elves.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books for Young Readers.

Review: The Money We’ll Save by Brock Cole

| Tasha

money well save

The Money We’ll Save by Brock Cole

When Ma is forced to send Pa to the store for eggs and flour, she warns him to just buy those two items.  But Pa is talked into purchasing a turkey poult at the market because of the money he’ll save.  They plan on having the turkey for Christmas dinner after feeding it on scraps and letting it live in a box by the stove.  But their nineteenth century apartment was definitely not designed to raise poultry.  Alfred, the turkey, grew and grew and soon started to eat much more than table scraps.  The family started to get creative with where they could house Alfred but there wasn’t much they could do with the limited space.  As Christmas neared, the mess and stink of a turkey was getting to be too much.  Though he may be messy, the children started to love Alfred.  What happened when Alfred became more of a pet than a meal?

The setting here is brilliantly done.  The depiction of the tenement building, the attitudes of the hard-working family, and the frugality of their family life all are vividly depicted.  The 19th century time period works well for a Christmas story, one that focuses more on family than on expense and presents.  This is an old-fashioned Christmas tale with lots of heart and character.

Cole’s art also captures the day-to-day life of this family.  The clothes and home immediately let readers know that they are not reading about today.  The illustrations are a jumble of family life, turkey mess, and a small space packed with furniture.  The illustrations have a real heart to them, filled with familial love and busyness.

Highly recommended, this book is a great one to add to Christmas traditions.  It is sure to have smiles beaming from all ages and will inspire the sharing of your family’s holiday memories.  Add this one to Christmas story times too as a break from Santa Claus and presents.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Llama Llama Holiday Drama

| Tasha

214440557

Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney

This latest in the Llama Llama series keeps the rhyming and charm of the earlier books and adds a Christmas theme.  Llama Llama loves Christmas, so he finds it hard to wait until the special day arrives.  There is a lot to do to prepare for the holiday with shopping, baking cookies, decorating the Christmas tree.   It all gets to be a bit too much for this little llama to bear.  So Mama Llama takes some time away from the holiday rush to spend a bit cuddling with Llama Llama, making it a special night in a different way.  A celebration of the holidays with just the right balance of what is actually important about them.

Dewdney has a great ear for rhymes.  They dance across the page and add to the celebratory feel of the book.  She also has a nice touch with her illustrations, creating moods with bright colors.  Her images are simple enough to project to a group easily but also detailed enough to make lap reading special.

Get this one for any toddlers on your Christmas list.  It has the potential to become an annual read.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Viking.