(2) PS "Mr. Santa? Is it really you?" A child wakes up to find Santa Claus delivering gifts to their house and proceeds to show him around, pointing out pet fish and sharing gingerbread, all the while asking him questions about the big night. The two later take off in Santa's sleigh, and more questions follow as he makes his rounds. Jarvis has chosen a nice mix of straightforward and silly questions ("Can reindeer talk...Can you eat clouds?") that young children may want to ask, and his digitally rendered illustrations give the book an old-timey feel perfect for an inviting bedtime story.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(3) PS Illustrated by Jon Klassen. Spanish translation of How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? (rev. 11/23). The interplay of Barnett’s “expert” childlike speculation and Klassen’s signature “graphite, ink, and digital...straight-faced brand of humor” works just as well in this edition. Minor changes in meaning do not detract from the story, and at times even add to the ruminative tone (“Pensándolo bien, las luces del árbol son iluminación suficiente para que Papá Noel pueda ver”). An excellent Spanish addition to the Christmas read-aloud shelf, just as wry as the original.

Reviewer:

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Sydney Smith. "Santa doesn't do anything special" for Christmas?! The elves are embarrassed not to have thought about it before: after a night of delivering toys, Santa just sleeps in an extra half hour and then gets back to work. This Christmas morning, the elves surprise their boss with breakfast in bed. Then they all chop down a "handsome spruce," hang lights around the North Pole, and bake cookies for "you know who." There are stockings, presents (delivered by a polar bear in a Santa suit), carols, and a Christmas feast. Barnett's wry text is full of affection for his characters, and Smith's rich watercolor and gouache illustrations infuse both the outdoor North Pole and interior scenes with good cheer.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Sonia Sánchez. Each year, Grandma makes tamales to sell so she can make Christmas magical for her familia. "With masa in one hand, corn husks in the other, Grandma's just getting started...Grandma is tenacious...Grandma's at it again," etc. Punctuated with this changing refrain, Briseño's inspiring text, from the point of view of a grandchild, is full of awe for this impressive matriarch. The pages count the tamales that Grandma makes -- in dozens -- all the way to "1,000 dozen tamales!" Sánchez's expressive pastel-style illustrations, rendered digitally with handmade brushes and textures, perfectly capture a loving and boisterous family who are happiest when they're together. Concurrently published in Spanish a Tamales para Navidad.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) PS Illustrated by Tim Mack. Avinngaq the lemming is excited to learn about Christmas and presents under the tree, but..."what is a tree?" There aren't any in the Arctic (as a prefacing note states), so Avinngaq enlists her animal friends' help to find one. Seaweed, a flower, berries, Arctic willow -- not trees, Qimmiq the sled dog says. Avinnagaq sadly sits on a piece of driftwood -- "You found a tree!" The cheery cartoon illustrations bring warmth to the chilly winter setting. The board book format seems unecessary for the story's age level, but this is a friendly introduction to Arctic flora and Inuktitut animal names (glossary and pronunciation guide appended).

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Luis San Vicente. Santa has "gathered the strangest and worst" letters he's received. More than twenty letters in verse beg, threaten, complain, bargain, and ask for homework help. "(P.S. It's due tomorrow)." Phoebe wants a unicorn: "Don't tell me you can't. Don't say they're not real. / If reindeer can fly, I think you can deal." There's a letter from "The Parents" stating, "We break our backs to make this work / And YOU get all the credit." "The Committee for Elvish Rights" has demands, "Chris from Accounting" has questions, and a T. rex asks, "can u pleez bring the dinoz bak?" The energetic digital collage illustrations play up the poems' outrageous absurdity.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) PS In a creative echo of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” Ipcar describes the snow-covered fir tree outside her window on a clear Christmas night. Atop the tree is “one shining star”; after this, she counts the creatures that inhabit it—two black bears, three bobcats, and so on, culminating with twelve black-capped chickadees. The illustrations, vigorously drawn and painted in rich, warm colors on full-bleed double-page spreads, are accompanied by a rhyming text with many child-appealing details. The five raccoons are “bold little bandits with neat black masks”; the eight gray squirrels have “small feet frisking, soft tails whisking.” Originally published in 1986.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) PS Illustrated by Erin Hill. During the car ride to celebrate Christmas on the Rez, Baby asks questions that Mommy and Daddy patiently answer, sharing Anishinaabe customs and beliefs. Once they arrive, Baby tells their grandparents, Kookum and Mooshom, what they learned: "we are all family"; "it is good to give things away"; "home is where we come from." Hill's digital illustrations feature a loving Native family proud of their culture. An endnote explains the relationship between traditional Anishinaabe winter solstice observances and the adopted holiday of Christmas.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Estrela Lourenço. Santa's sleigh crash lands on Mars, and technicians from the Outer Space Rescue Division are called in to diagnose the problem: "Malfunctions are due to our cosmic conditions!" Working together, Santa and the Martian techs upgrade the sleigh ("The tinsel-trimmed turbines were programmed to MAX. / The runners were polished with peppermint wax") and provide "astro-style suits" for the reindeer. Now, Santa can fill Martian stockings with "celestial sweets" and "savor his snack / in the Christmas tree's glow." The rhyming "Night Before Christmas" style text gets a (rocket) boost from the energetic digital illustrations' slightly retro vibe.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Boldt. Elmore the moose applies for his dream job as one of Santa's reindeer, but there's one problem: he can't fly. Santa eventually figures out a different job for Elmore that fits his skill set: Official Manager of Assorted Goodies, Treats, and Sugary Delights. Boldt's cartoon-style illustrations playfully embrace the absurdity of Petty's story (e.g., Santa hires a flying walrus named Abner to pull his sleigh). Handwritten letters between Elmore and Santa add to the dynamic page compositions, and entertaining North Pole classified ad pages for endpapers round out this "Christmas kind of story."

Reviewer: Caitlin Kling | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Gila von Meissner. With Hanukkah fast approaching, Oliver writes an email to Santa: "I'm Jewish. And that means you don't have to come down my chimney on Christmas Eve. I just wanna make sure you know." Santa writes back with what he thinks is reassurance, but then missteps in wishing Oliver a "Happy Chrismukkah." The correspondence continues ("that's not my holiday") in informative and humorous ways. Cheerful cartoony illustrations, blue-heavy for Oliver's settings and red-and-green for Santa's, include seasonal motifs and clever details. The Jewish family's varied skin tones, along with other non Christmas observers and diversity among the elves, are added pluses for representation.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 An over-the-top grandma is the one sending presents in this takeoff on the popular Christmas carol. Her gifts on the first six days hew close to the original, but then things take a turn. Rather than seven swans a-swimming, Grandma sends her granddaughter Eloise "seven squirrels a-snorkelling." Smith's vibrantly illustrated three French hens don berets and ascots while carrying French flags. Each page is designed to suggest an envelope with funny details; for example, the squirrels come from "The Rub-A-Dub Home Pamper Service." The twelfth day brings a surprise practical gift, and the book ends with Eloise sending her grandma -- of course -- a thank-you note.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lane Smith & Molly Leach. Optimistic creature Stickler (Stickler Loves the World, rev. 9/23) is naturally now spreading yuletide cheer. "This Christmas, Stickler knew just what to give everyone." The answer is a stick, of course, specific to each recipient's needs (e.g., Rabbit receives a "Hop-Higher1 Stick"). Even Doug-the-Fir, who does not want to be a Christmas tree, gets his wish with a "Don't-Stare Stick" and a clever distraction by Stickler. The textured mixed-media illustrations are classic Smith, as is Leach's spirited design, and both complement the wacky quality of his humorous story, which ends sweetly with Stickler also receiving the perfect present (spoiler: it's a stick).

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Leah Hong. In search of the Christmas spirit, young mouse Hugo sneaks downstairs on Christmas Eve to see the tree decorated by their house's human resident, William. But it hasn't been, because a snowstorm has left the elderly man alone for Christmas. William catches but releases Hugo, who enlists his own large family's help in secretly decorating William's tree, and then they all celebrate together. Underwood's traditional story requires extra suspension of disbelief regarding the human-mouse interactions, but its focus on simple acts of kindness is entirely fitting for the holiday. Hong's detailed gouache and colored-pencil illustrations on watercolor paper depict heartwarming scenes of clothed mice engaging in domestic activities.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 Extreme fog has derailed this family's Christmas Eve visit to Nana and Papa's, but the narrator is determined to get there. Though tying a flashlight to the dog's head fails, more lights, and a few luminous reindeer (not just their noses), help them arrive safely, with an epic story. Stylized, swirling fog dominates dramatic exterior illustrations and influences details in inviting interior spreads in this engaging take on the perils and wonders of the season's weather.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Thai Phuong. Just in time for Christmas 2024's coinciding with the first night of Chanukah, here's a story of an interfaith family enjoying both holidays. After some confused apprehension on the part of young protagonists Max and Sophie, both sets of their grandparents arrive. A bustling family gathering ensues, complete with Chanukah and Christmas traditions, storytelling, and, of course, foods, including the titular treat. Digital illustrations depict a loving family with diverse skin tones.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) PS “Long ago, an angel told Mary she was going to have a baby.” This board book tells the biblical story of the birth of Jesus in simple language. Each left-hand page features a sentence about a particular aspect of the story, from the angel visiting Mary to the wise men bringing Jesus gifts. Vocabulary words, such as Bethlehem, stable, and manger, appear in bold, and the right-hand pages feature the bolded word from the opposite page along with an isolated illustration. Marie’s use of colorful jewel tones ­creates an inviting atmosphere.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) PS Illustrated by Bea Jackson. This picture book joyfully reimagines the popular Christmas carol and counts down twelve hours of a Black family’s celebration. The day begins with a young girl finding a kitten under the tree, but by the second hour: “Uh-oh! Where can she be?” Amid the search, the hours bring five nana hugs, six older cousins, and more. Jackson’s warm, digitally rendered illustrations showcase the variety of skin tones and hairstyles commonly found in African American families. The day ends with a safely located kitten and twelve “loud long ‘love you’s” as holiday guests head home: a perfect ending to the family’s Christmas Day.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) PS Illustrated by Nina Dzyvulska. A colorful array of monsters takes over the pages of this rhyming picture book. Baker’s zany verses, dynamically typeset to mirror the frenetic energy, take readers on a whirlwind tour of the monsters’ Christmas shenanigans and make for a great read-aloud: “­JOYFUL monster, / TOY-FUL ­monster, / filling up a sack. / ­PEEKING monster, / SNEAKING monster, / HEY NOW, give that back!” Dzyvulska’s illustrations, outlined in bold black lines and colored in bright hues, provide a visual smorgasbord of details to pore over. An appended prompt sends readers back to the beginning to find Santa Monster in every spread.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Courtney Lovett. In this silly Santa story, siblings Monte and Mabel Mack invite Santa Claus to stay with their family after his sleigh breaks down on Christmas. While waiting for a “yip-yip fuse” to fix it, he makes himself at home, putting his feet up on a loveseat and eating everything in sight. When he mistakenly cracks Mabel’s new tablet, she declares, “SANTA’S GOTTA GO.” But order is restored, and kindness and patience recognized. Lovett’s humorous digital illustrations will make readers believe in a Santa who wears skinny jeans and has several tattoos and an earring.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023