Santa in the City written by Tiffany D. Jackson,
illustrated by Reggie Brown
Dial Books, 2021, 32 pages
Two weeks before Christmas, city girl Deja is getting really excited, but some kids don't think Santa exists. After all, they ask, how does Santa deliver gifts for kids who live in apartments and don't have a chimney? Or live up in the cold, cold North Pole. Luckily, Deja's mom has some answers for her. Christmas is magical, and magic always finds a way. Santa has a magical keychain that lets him in each and every apartment after parking on the roof. But each answer her mother has leads to another question that Deja has. Where does Santa park his sleigh and reindeer? How will Santa find them in among all the buildings? And how can Santa be a Kings Plaza Mall and the North Pole at the same time? And what about when they visit grandparents in Jamaica? How does Santa know where to find them? Still skeptical after all the answer, Deja decides to wait up for Santa himself to answer her questions, but she just couldn't keep her eyes open and Santa came and left, but not before leaving a special message just for her. This is a great book for all those city kids who may have the same questions and the answers are quiet feasible. I remember wondering the same things as Deja and so did my Kiddo when she was young. The bright, boldly colored digital illustrations capture all of Deja's emotions surrounding Christmas and Santa, perhaps because they were made with a pinch of Christmas magic.
The Christmas Owl
written by Ellen Kalish and Gideon Sterer,
illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki
Little, Brown BFYR, 2021, 40 pages
Every year, there is lots of local NYC news coverage for the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, but the 2020 tree got some extra coverage. And no wonder - that tree came with a young saw-whet owl living among its branches and no one noticed until the tree arrived in NYC. How this little owl get from his home in Oneonta, NY to Rockefeller Center and then on to Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, NY is the inspiration for this imaginative picture book. Christmas is coming, but what does that mean? Is the tree little own calls home Christmas? Hiding on the branches of a large fir tree, the men cutting it down don't notice her sitting there. Soon, they are on a big truck and heading to NYC, where the tree is prepared for decorating. Where am I? wonders the little owl as she looks around at the big buildings, at the people and cars hurrying by. When a surprised worker discovers her, little owl, now called Rockefeller, is carefully put into a box and driven out of NYC, and handed over to Ellen (the author) from the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center. There, Rocky is cared for until she is able to fly high and far. On Christmas, Rocky is released into the wild, ready to go back where she came from. This is a sweet feel-good story in which the little owl (and readers) discovers some of what Christmas is all about. The digitally created illustrations are soft and very Christmasy. Back matter consists of a note from the author and the real story of Rockefeller the owl.
The Mice Before Christmas
written by Anne L. Watson, illustrated by Wendy Edelson
Skyhook Press, 2021, 36 pages
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house/ Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse..." Well, of course the mice were stirring, they were simply exhausted from all the holiday hustle and bustle of the day and evening before Christmas. The mice are having a party and that means lots of cooking and baking, house and tree decorating, present wrapping, and lots of stockings to hang as the excitement grows until the guests arrival. Then there are holiday greetings and wishes, carol singing, presents to open, food to eat and enjoy, after which the youngsters are sent off to bed to await Santa Mouse, while everyone else dances as a seven piece orchestra plays. The evening's festivities end with a visit from Santa Mouse before all visitors leave and the rest of the mice family fall into bed exhausted. This is a sweet alternative to the original Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore. It's told in the same rhyme scheme which never falters, and the illustrations are detailed and very traditional. I read this with my young readers right before we read the traditional Night Before Christmas and they loved how the stories kind of connected to each other, although they did wonder what the human occupants of the house were doing all day, too.
written by Mark Lee, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
Candlewick Press, 2021, 32 pages
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas as trucks of all kinds, big ones and small ones and even a pink and blue donut truck, begin arriving in the middle of this snowy town to decorate for the holidays. And the town's children watch and count the as the trucks arrive. Besides the donut truck, there's a snow plow clearing the way; a semitrailer bringing a giant sized tree; a digger to make a hole in the ground for the tree, trucks full of decorations; a crane to reaching the top of the tree; a stake struck carrying a band to play holiday music; a van bringing a choir, even a tow truck after the van breaks down; another truck brings Santa's sleigh, and a different truck brings Santa himself. There's plenty of activity, as more children and adults gather round to watch as the decorations are hung, But when the big star falls and breaks, a substitute tree topper needs to be found and the donut truck has just what is needed. This is a cute rhyming/counting book with simple, realistic illustrations that really capture the excitement and even the cold temperatures. I read this over and over to my young readers who loved learning the names of the different kinds of trucks (the kids are only 4-5 years old and English is necessarily their first language). This has already found a permanent place in our little library of favorite books.
Where's Waldo? Santa Spotlight Search
written and illustrated by Martin Handford
Candlewick Press, 2021, 16 pages
It just wouldn't feel like Christmas without some kind of wimmelbuch, a wordless picture book of everyday scenes filled with small but many details, and the Waldo books certainly fill that bill. In Santa Spotlight Search, readers are given a spotlight searcher to help them meet the various challenges found on each of six pages. Simply slide the spotlight searcher under the red plastic shield to illuminate each of the different scenes revealed as you move it around the page. Each page has a different theme beginning with The Santa Meet, a gathering of Santas from far and wide to enjoy food and have fun. The second page is all about Christmas Shopping, including all the crowds that come with that; page three involves Festive Baking from gingerbread, cupcakes and chocolate cakes. Next is Santa's Workshop and all the toy treasures of children's dreams. Page five is a Jolly Jamboree because what's Christmas without music and a party and Santa's like a good time, too. And last but not least is Christmas Eve complete with presents, reindeer, even elves. Each page comes with several games and puzzles for those willing to accept the challenge.
I just bought the Waldo book for the grandkids and a copy of another one from a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteI love the story of the owl! I would like to read it myself.