Review - How to Hide a Lion at Christmas

How to Hide a Lion at Christmas (How to Hide a Lion #4)
by Helen Stephens
Date: 2018
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

A charming holiday picture book about a girl, her pet lion, and a Christmas adventure.

Iris and her lion go everywhere together. But when Christmas comes and the family is going away, Mum says the lion must stay behind. After all, you can't take a lion on a train. Luckily the lion has other ideas. He sets off on a festive, snowy adventure to find Iris--and almost bumps into Santa Claus!

Helen Stephens's How to Hide a Lion at Christmas will warm young readers' hearts with its colorful illustrations and funny text depicting a sweet friendship.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a bit of a strange book, but it's still entertaining. A little girl named Iris wants to take her lion when her family goes to visit a relative at Christmas. But her parents say she can't. The lion stows away on the train to be with his friend... but he falls asleep and misses his stop. He must find a way back to Iris. Along the way, he encounters Santa Claus.

I haven't read any of the other books about Iris and her lion. At first, I wasn't sure whether this was supposed to be literal. But the fact that Iris has a lion toy suggests to me that the lion is imaginary, which makes the story even more charming.

Kids will probably enjoy the funny storyline about the lion getting lost, finding his way back, and meeting Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. It's an entertaining story for those who are looking for more strong holiday picture books.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Review - Santa Claus vs the Easter Bunny

Santa Claus vs the Easter Bunny
by Fred Blunt
Date: 2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

The holidays just got serious. (And silly.)

Santa has it so easy: a workforce of elves to make the presents, a team of reindeer to deliver them, and even a high-tech factory!

The Easter Bunny has to make and wrap all the chocolate eggs and deliver them all by himself.

Now Bunny has had enough.

But will his plan for a Christmas disaster turn into a Christmas delight?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

The Easter Bunny has it rough. He has to do everything himself! After watching Santa coast by with his team of elves and reindeer, Bunny gets a little unhinged and decides to sabotage Santa's big night. But will his plan work? Or will it backfire in an unexpected way?

This is actually more amusing than I thought it might be. The rabbit goes hilariously over the edge after years of being taken for granted. The illustrations are pretty funny, showing Bunny lose it. But the overall message is sweet, making this unique take on a holiday book a nice choice for Christmas reading.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Review - Peanut Butter & Santa Claus

Peanut Butter & Santa Claus (A Zombie Culinary Tale)
by Joe McGee
illustrated by Charles Santoso
Date: 2019
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

When Santa gets snowed in at the North Pole, it’s up to three heroes from Quirkville to save the day—but they’re in for an ooey-gooey surprise!

Reginald (the zombie), Zarfon (the alien), and Abigail Zink (the human) are all preparing for Christmas in Quirkville when the terrible news breaks: CHRISTMAS IS CANCELED! Santa is snowed in at the North Pole. The three friends hatch a plan to save the day. They load into Zarfon’s spaceship—along with lots of peanut butter for a surprise Christmas delivery to his home planet later on—and head straight for the North Pole. When they arrive, they find that Santa and his elves are trapped, not by snow, but by a marshmallow cream explosion. With a little bit of creativity, a little bit of Christmas spirit, and one big KA-POW!, the pals from Quirkville save Christmas and inadvertently create a delicious treat!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is stupid, juvenile, and potentially scary for young readers.

In a town called Quirkville, there are all sorts of weird citizens: zombies, aliens, and kids who spend too much time on the internet. When Christmas is cancelled, three of them take a trip to the North Pole, only to find that the marshmallow factory is malfunctioning and spewing sticky goo everywhere. The three kids use the alien's supply of peanut butter to make peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches to give to all the kids around the world, and Christmas is saved.

Okay, first of all, if Christmas is cancelled because Santa's stuck at the North Pole, your priorities might be a bit skewed. Do you call up the grandparents and tell them not to come for turkey dinner? Do you ignore all the other presents under the tree from your own family and friends? Come on. I'm not a fan of Thanksgiving picture books that promote disgusting displays of gluttony, and I'm not a fan of Christmas books that imply that getting stuff from Santa is the most important part of the holiday. What about the people who don't believe in Santa Claus? Does their Christmas get cancelled, too?

Second, the whole peanut butter aspect could be pretty scary for children with severe peanut allergies. Not only are Santa's workshops not nut-free, but he's shown leaving potentially deadly snacks in people's living rooms. (He'd better be leaving some EpiPens, too.)

This book appears to be part of a series about Quirkville and its zombies. Maybe the other books are more entertaining. But this one isn't great. It has a questionable message and depicts Santa's flippant disregard for those with severe food allergies.

Skip this one.

Premise: 1/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 1/5

Overall: 2 out of 5

Review - Off I Go!

Off I Go! (Princess Truly #2)
by Kelly Greenawalt
illustrated by Amariah Rauscher
Date: 2019
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: library

Explore the world with Princess Truly!

Princess Truly is on a great adventure! With a twinkle from her magical, sparkling curls, she can go anywhere in the world. Whether exploring with her little brother Ty, or her sidekick pug Sir Noodles, she uses her bravery and curiosity to dream BIG. Travel with Truly to swim with penguins in the South Pole, explore the wonders of the rainforest, and discover the magic of the world all around you!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is my first exposure to Princess Truly. Apparently, she has magic hair.

Off I Go! is a simple story, told in rhyme, about Princess Truly's imagined adventures. Powered by her magic glowing curls (a nice nod to hair positivity), Truly takes her little brother and her dog off on an adventure. First, they visit the South Pole and play with penguins. But Sir Noodles, the dog, doesn't like that, so Truly takes him off on some other adventures to try to get the grumpy pug in a better mood.

The actual story is a little weak and the rhymes are kind of basic, but this would be a good book for early readers to read by themselves. The pictures are quite cute, and there are even instructions for how to draw Sir Noodles at the end.

I think I would've liked this one when I was just starting to read books on my own.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.14 out of 5

Review - I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree

I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree
by Jean E. Pendziwol
illustrated by Nathalie Dion
Date: 2020
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

The child in this story observes the sun by playing with her shadow, though sometimes it disappears. She listens to the wind tell stories, even when it howls like wolves. She tastes snowflakes — sometimes sweet and delicate; other times sharp on her cheeks. And finally, she finds hope in the buds on a cherry tree that survive through the winter to blossom in spring.

Jean E. Pendziwol has written a layered, lyrical exploration of the hardships and beauties of nature. Her poem, beautifully illustrated by Nathalie Dion, is a study in contrasts and a message of the hope that carries us through the year and through our lives.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Well, that was pretentious.

I can't see kids getting much out of the narrative here. This might work in a high school or university setting, where literature snobs can gleefully pick apart the nuances and meaning of the text. But for kids?

I found hope

in a cherry tree

that places tiny buds

on shivering,

leaf-bare branches in autumn,

knowing that

shadows

can disappear,

and stories

can howl like wolves,

and snowflakes

can be icy and sharp,

and there is no way

for the tree to be sure

that the buds will

ever bloom.

The illustrations are nice. But I can't see most kids sitting still for this. There's no story to speak of. It's just a kid spouting pretentious free-verse poetry steeped in metaphor.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 1/5

Overall: 2 out of 5

Review - A Year of Everyday Wonders

A Year of Everyday Wonders
by Cheryl B. Klein
illustrated by Qin Leng
Date: 2020
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

From first haircut to first ice-cream cone, each year brings a new cycle of experiences

With each new year come countless little wonders. From the highs—first snowfall, first new umbrella, first beach trip—to the lows—first missed bus, first lost umbrella, first sunburn—every year older means another cycle of everyday experiences.

In their clever, playful, observant picture book, acclaimed author Cheryl B. Klein and illustrator Qin Leng explore many truths of childhood through a calendar year of small moments that, all together, comprise what it is to be a kid.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a really sweet little book, adorably illustrated by Qin Leng, that chronicles a year of firsts as a little girl passes through a year. From first snowball fights and first waffles to first crushes and first sunburns, the story shows how the everyday can also be extraordinary.

I don't have much to complain about here, other than the placement of the text on some of the illustrated pages. The typeface is small and the contrast isn't always great, so it's sometimes tricky to read. Other than that, though, the aesthetic of the book is wonderful.

I'd recommend this book to readers who are looking for books about the passage of a year, the seasons, or the simple pleasures of a child's life.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 5/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.5 out of 5

Review - Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White

Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White
by Saumiya Balasubramaniam
illustrated by Eva Campbell
Date: 2020
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

A little girl and her mother walk home from school on a snowy winter day.

“So much snow,” says Ma. “So monochromatic.”

“Mono crow what?” her daughter replies.

Ma misses the sun, warmth and colors of their faraway homeland, but her daughter sees magic in everything — the clouds in the winter sky, the “firework” display when she throws an armful of snow into the air, making snow angels, tasting snowflakes. And in the end, her joy is contagious. Home is where family is, after all.

This gently layered, beautifully illustrated story that unfolds as a conversation between a mother and daughter will resonate with readers young and old.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I almost didn't pick up this book because of the off-putting title. Without understanding the context (and seeing the child playing with snow on the sidewalk), my first thought was something along the lines of yellow snow... only worse (which was obviously not the intent!). And that's a shame, because this is quite a decent picture book highlighting the different views of snow that members of a South Asian-Canadian family might have.

A little girl and her mother walk home from school on a snowy day. The mother can only see the white that surrounds them and longs for her tropical home. The child, on the other hand, sees plenty of colour (the grey of her cat and the blue of the sky, for example) and insists that she is home.

There's not much to the story, really, but it's interesting to see the two different perspectives. The pages are illustrated with a deft touch, bringing the emotions of the pair to life.

I would recommend this one to newcomers to Canada who might be experiencing snow for the first time. It would also be a nice addition to a library of seasonal books that deal with weather.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5