If Animals Celebrated Christmas

September 24, 2018
In the third entry in their If Animals series, Paul and Walker ponder how animal families might prepare for Christmas. If animals were to celebrate the holiday, "Crabs would scamper from the deep, dark sea,/ and build a seashell Christmas tree" while, under a starry sky, "Papa and Mama Buffalo/ would grunt greetings and kiss beneath mistletoe." Walker illustrates in a cozy, smudgy art style that lovingly depicts the animal babies and parents in a range of wilderness settings. If Koala celebrated Christmas, she would hang her stocking from a tree and, after cuddling with her Mama and Papa, "she'd fall asleep in her high-branch bed/ with visions of reindeer flying through her headâ/ a team of them!â/ fast on their way." A satisfying final spread shows a polar bear Santa with a sleigh full of toys. Ages 2â6.

January 1, 2019
"If animals celebrated Christmas, / Koala, high in a tree, would cheer, / 'Christmas is coming! / It's almost here!'" The rhymed text, featuring couplets and other repetitive singsong verse, speculates various scenarios of creatures' Christmastime festivities. The sentimental story features warm illustrations of cuddly animals decorating, knitting, and cooking in preparation for Polar Bear Santa.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from September 1, 2018
Over a dozen types of animal families show how they would celebrate this holiday season.Cheerful, star-spangled red endpapers usher in a sweet story of animals all over the world getting ready for Christmas with their families. Young Koala starts things off, counting down the days till Christmas. Little Oryx enjoys ringing bells, Hedgehog uses her quills to knit "a sweater for Hoglet with fancy frills." A beaver, buffalo, penguins, and a narwhal are all part of the fun. The hustle and bustle hints at Christmas Eve, each outdoor scene set against a deep blue sky with bright stars and a smiling moon. Koala helps Papa bake "a yum-yum leafy, Santa-shaped cake," while at the shore, crabs "build a seashell Christmas tree." Caroling cranes sing in a choir, a frog looking on. Soft yet vibrant, clear colors enhance the mood, as the rounded figures of the animals prepare for Christmas in their individual ways. Animal sounds are highlighted in the text: "Tortoise would tuck in his head and hisssssssssssssss, / making a secret holiday wish." Words curve around the gentle action in rhyming text, all leading up to the arrival of Polar Bear Santa. The simple, patterned format makes this a natural read-aloud for bedtime.A sweet, cozy book to share with young children as Christmas approaches. (Picture book. 2-6)

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