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THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS written by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Anita Lobel Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2020 (Reprint) ISBN: 978-1-5344-6967-9 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK   Since it was first published nearly 200 years ago “The Night Before Christmas” has enchanted readers young and old with the story of St. Nicholas landing on a snowy roof, climbing down the chimney, and filling all of the stockings with gifts before riding off in his sleigh, wishing “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” Anna Lobel’s stunning, richly detailed illustrations for the poem have been cherished by families for over thirty years. Portraying a lush Victorian New York setting, children are snug in their beds, a cat is asleep under the tree, and the quiet city is blanketed with snow. As Santa Claus leaves the city after delivering gifts, he flies over a stunning moonlit Brooklyn Bridge. This be

MEERKAT CHRISTMAS from Emily Gravett Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019 ISBN: 9781534476790 Source: Publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK From the multi award-winning creator of the modern classic Meerkat Mail, this gorgeous festive treat is full of Christmas card flaps to lift, as Sunny the meerkat travels the world in the search of the perfect Christmas. Sunny wants a white Christmas, with a decorated tree, carols and sprouts for dinner . . . none of which he can see at home in the Kalahari desert. So off he heads to find the perfect Christmas elsewhere, before realizing that maybe Christmas isn't all about the trimmings. Emily Gravett's witty and heartwarming celebration of festive fun and family love shows that Christmas can be whatever you want it to be.   REVIEW   This delightfully different Christmas story follows a young meerkat named Sunny.  He longs desperately for a 'Perfect Christmas'

  MY VERY MERRY UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER by Jeffrey Burton, illustrated by Julia Green Little Simon, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-5344-7678-3 Source: publisher for review Ages 0-4 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK What is the most glorious thing that can be worn to a holiday party? The ugly Christmas sweater, of course! See festive reindeer, yeti, penguins, and more get into the spirit in this immersive book perfect for tactile young readers.   REVIEW   Ugly Christmas sweaters seem to have become a holiday tradition for all ages.  Ugly is, of course, relative depending on people's opinions.  This charming chapter book introduces the concept of the 'ugly' holiday sweater to young readers through touch and feel.  Each of the five two-page spreads highlights a creature and it's sweater.  There's a reindeer drinking coco wearing tinsel and ornaments on his sweater.  The poor Yeti's sweater just doesn't fit right but his belly is soft and warm.  The

CHRISTMAS IS JOY by Emma Dodd templar books, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-5362-1545-8 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK An enchanting celebration of the true meaning of Christmas, featuring two adorable reindeer. Christmas is love that lasts all year. It's all of us, together, here. Christmas is peace, stars twinkling above, a night of sweet dreams and a heart full of love. Emma Dodd's joyful celebration of this wonderful time of year, as seen through the eyes of two reindeer, is a pure delight.   REVIEW   The tender poem at the heart of this book shares some of the sweet feelings and experiences that can accompany Christmas.  Those feelings and experiences are illustrated using a mother and child reindeer as the focal point.  The shiny paper used for snow in the air, snow on the trees, and a shining lake makes the illustrations really stand out and sparkle with life.  A short, sweet celebration of the best the Christmas season

GIGANTOSAURUS: THE HOLIDAY PARTY by Cyber Group Studios Candlewick Entertainment, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-5362-1340-9 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   It's the shortest day of the year, and Mazu, Tiny, Rocky, and Bill are feeling awfully gloomy. When the sun rises so late and sets so early, there's barely enough daylight to do anything, let alone something fun. So when Tiny decides to cheer everyone up with an extravagant holiday party, all of the dinosaurs in Cretacea are excited--and Tiny even invites the fearsome Giganto. But a last-minute bash is tough to pull off, and pretty soon everything from the decorations to the presents has gone wrong. Can Tiny salvage it all and throw the holiday party she promised?   REVIEW   This picture book is based on an episode of the children's TV show Gigantosaurus.  The story focuses on young Tiny who proposes a party to celebrate the shortest day of the year, proving

  THE SNOW DANCER by Addie Boswell, illustrated by Merce Lopez two lions, 2020 ISBN: 978-1542093170 Source: Blue Slip Media Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   Young dancer Sofia wakes up to a quiet, white world—it’s a snow day! She makes her way outside to the neighborhood park, where a field awaits her, white and shining and open. It isn’t long before the rest of the neighborhood wakes its sleepy head—and the other kids make their way to the park, scattering all of Sofia’s beautiful silence. But with the help of a new young friend, Sofia is ready to show everyone what a snow dancer can do on a perfect day like this. With lyrical language and gorgeous art, this book sparkles with all the joy and beauty of a snow day.   REVIEW   This lovely ode to the joys of untouched snow shows a young girl's excitement as she dresses up and heads outside.  She dances through the snow making all kinds of delightful sounds.  When she arrives at the local

  MING'S CHRISTMAS WISHES by Susan L. Gong,  illustrated by Masahiro Tateishi Shadow Mountain, 2020 ISBN: 9781629727790 Ages 5-8 Source: publisher for review All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK Ming wishes for three things at Christmas. First, to sing in the school Christmas choir. Second, to have a Christmas tree like the one in the department store window. And third, to feel she belongs somewhere. As a daughter of immigrants in 1930s California, Ming is often treated differently than other children at school. She's pointedly not invited to sing in the Christmas choir. At home, when Ming lobbies her parents for a Christmas tree, her mother scolds her for trying to be American. Ming doesn't seem to fit in anywhere: she's not quite American enough at school, not quite Chinese enough at home.  REVIEW Being the child of immigrant parents frustrates young Ming in 1930s California.  She wants to be part of the school Christmas choir but is rejec

CLEO PORTER AND THE BODY ELECTRIC by Jake Burt  Feiwel and Friends, 2020 ISBN: 9781250236555 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A woman is dying. Cleo Porter has her medicine. And no way to deliver it. Like everyone else, twelve-year-old Cleo and her parents are sealed in an apartment without windows or doors. They never leave. They never get visitors. Their food is dropped off by drones. So they're safe. Safe from the disease that nearly wiped humans from the earth. Safe from everything. The trade-off? They're alone. Thus, when they receive a package clearly meant for someone else--a package containing a substance critical for a stranger's survival--Cleo is stuck. As a surgeon-in-training, she knows the clock is ticking. But people don't leave their units. Not ever. Until now.   REVIEW   Cleo Porter plans to be a surgeon like her mother. She's working hard to prepare for the test she must pass to continue

  THE MONSTER WHO WASN'T by T.C. Shelley Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-5476-0456-2 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   It is a well-known fact that fairies are born from a baby's first laugh. What is not as well documented is how monsters come into being … This is the story of a creature who is both strange and unique. When he hatches in the underground lair where monsters dwell, he looks just like a human boy – much to the monsters' dismay. Even the grumpy gargoyles who take him under their wings and nickname him "Imp" only adopt him to steal chocolate for them from nearby shops. With feet in both the monster and human worlds, Imp doesn't know where he fits. But little does Imp realize that Thunderguts, king of the ogres, has a great and dangerous destiny in mind for him, and he'll stop at nothing to see it come to pass. . . With rich, atmospheric writing, debut author

MY FAVORITE COLOR: I Can Only Pick One? by Aaron Becker Candlewick Studio, 2020 ISBN: 9781536214741 Source: publisher for review Ages 3-6 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   People always ask for your favorite color. But who said you can only have one? Open this gorgeous board book to find an ode to ever-changing colors, offering a spectrum of hues evoking the sun, the sea, clouds, and dew-dappled fruit. In colorful grids of small squares--some translucent inserts, some painted on the page--Aaron Becker uses layering to make colors shift and transition from spread to mesmerizing spread. As fun to look at as an alluring paint-chip display and as inspiring as an artful concept book can be, My Favorite Color promises to be a favorite, well-thumbed read and a prized art object in itself.   REVIEW   This is a hard book to describe.  It's full of die-cuts, translucent squares of various colors, and incredible layering that causes the colors to shift and

  THE PRINCESS WHO FLEW WITH DRAGONS Tales from the Chocolate Heart #3 by Stephanie Burgis Bloomsbury, 2020 ISBN: 9781547602070 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Princess Sofia of Drachenheim is sick of being used for her older sister’s political gains. At twelve years old, she’s already been a hostage to invading dragons and a promised future fiancé to a wicked fairy. Her only comfort lies in writing letters to her pen pal and best friend--Jasper, a young dragon whom she's never even met. When Sofia's older sister sends her on a diplomatic mission to far-off Villenne, she's meant to play the part of a charming, smiling princess. But when an accident leads to her exile from the city, Sofia is free to wander as she pleases for the first time in her life. And when Jasper's food-mage sister Aventurine turns him into a human boy, Sofia thinks life can't get any better. Until… the legendary ice giants of the n

  CURSE OF THE NIGHT WITCH Emblem Island #1 by Alex Aster Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-4926-9720-6 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   On Emblem Island all are born knowing their fate. Their lifelines show the course of their life and an emblem dictates how they will spend it. Twelve-year-old Tor Luna was born with a leadership emblem, just like his mother. But he hates his mark and is determined to choose a different path for himself. So, on the annual New Year's Eve celebration, where Emblemites throw their wishes into a bonfire in the hopes of having them granted, Tor wishes for a different power. The next morning Tor wakes up to discover a new marking on his skin...the symbol of a curse that has shortened his lifeline, giving him only a week before an untimely death. There is only one way to break the curse, and it requires a trip to the notorious Night Witch. With only his village's terrifying,

  EVELYN DEL REY IS MOVING AWAY by Meg Medina, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez  Candlewick Press, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0704-0 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK From Newbery Medalist Meg Medina comes the bittersweet story of two girls who will always be each other's número uno, even though one is moving away. A big truck with its mouth wide open is parked at the curb, ready to gobble up Evelyn's mirror with the stickers around the edge . . . and the sofa that we bounce on to get to the moon. Evelyn Del Rey is Daniela's best friend. They do everything together and even live in twin apartments across the street from each other: Daniela with her mami and hamster, and Evelyn with her mami, papi, and cat. But not after today--not after Evelyn moves away. Until then, the girls play amid the moving boxes until it's time to say goodbye, making promises to keep in touch, because they know that their friendship