Here are my recent finds and my honest opinion.
Elijah is just focused on getting his errands done and getting home to Christmas with his family, when a strange encounter and a little Christmas magic raise some questions for Elijah about who his family really is. A sweet fable, not entirely dissimilar to Christmas Carol. This one is on the longer side and may be best suited for older children. It's worth a read. Three Stars.
Mouse’s Night Before Christmas by Tracey Corderoy:
The Night Before Christmas from a different perspective -- the mouse, who was indeed stirring. I expected this story to go in a couple different directions, but it surprised me every time. It was pretty cute; it would be a good pair when the kids are familiar with the traditional poem. Three Stars.
The Magical Christmas Store by Maudie Powell-Tuck:
A poor boy is swept away to a magical store where he finds gifts for his family. Though the gifts are not much to look at and hold no dollar value, they are more than enough to bring the magic back into his family’s holiday. A sweet, whimsical story. Children will like it for the imaginative qualities and bright colors; adults will like it (maybe) for the heartstring tug. A touch saccharine and highly predictable, but it was overall a decent read. Four Stars.
A little girl wants only one present this year – her own real live gnome. She spends her holiday season preparing for its arrival. While things don’t turn out quite the way she expected, it’s safe to say her heart’s desire is granted.
This was a fun little read. I liked the twist in the end and the way the situation was resolved to keep the little girl’s faith in the holiday alive. Worth reading, especially if you have a kiddo jonesing after a present you know for a fact Santa's not going to be able to manage (like a puppy?) Four Stars
A lost teddy bear is helped home for the holidays by a pack of woodland animals.
This was a reasonably charming (sort of) story that’s fine if you need extra books to get your kiddo through the holiday season. Two Stars.
Winter’s Gift by Jane Donovan:
A lonely old man finds a new reason to go on when a lost pony in need of aid arrives on his farm.
This story attempts to be a heart-tugger and sort of succeeds maybe. It's another one to pick up if you need filler and your audience enjoys sentimental stories or horses. Two Stars.
Santa is in trouble, trapped up at the North Pole by… marshmallows? It’s up to a trio of unusual friends (a zombie, an alien and a human kid) to save the day.
This story was reasonably funny and entertaining. I wouldn't call it a standout, but if you’re looking for some lighthearted filler, this one will likely satisfy young ones who appreciate silliness (and zombies). It will definitely have an audience for the right readers and seems like it might fit Bad Guys fans well. Three Stars.
Santa takes time away from his busy Christmas Eve to stop and pray at a church over the holiday.
While adults may find it a little overly obvious and preachy, this one will likely strike the right note with parents looking to remind their excited kiddos that Christmas is about more important things than Santa and presents. Strongly religious but not a nativity story. Three Stars.
The traditions and words of Christmas found in the baking of holiday cookies.
I had mixed feelings on this one. I generally love Rosenthal's work (who doesn't, really). The book is very sweet, and has a very old-fashioned feel. It reminds me of something from The Children's Book of Virtues era. So expect some didacticism and a rather moral-ish or preachy overtone. The vocabulary is great--when people talk about reading expanding a kid's knowledge of words, they are talking about books precisely like this one. However, storytellers may have trouble holding a young child's attention well with this book. Two Stars.
Grouchy Jim can’t seem to get into the holiday spirit. How can he when nothing is going his way? But with the help of his jungle pals, Jim learns how to appreciate all the good right around him too.
So this is another one that fell into the severely didactic category. It has the advantage of being somewhat funny, and it is part of a series. Fans of Grumpy Monkey will probably like it. And if you have a cranky-pants kiddo who is feeling whiny this season, it's a fun story. Two Stars.
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