Review by Booklist Review
Ages 3-5. Stock covers the holiday season with three books that contain simple yet appealing messages. In Christmas Time, a little girl enjoys the anticipatory activities, such as choosing a tree and baking cookies, that make Christmas so much fun. In Halloween Monster, a young black boy isn't as excited about the holiday as he should be--he's scared! But once he has on his own monster suit, he gets into the swing of things. Thanksgiving Treat features a young boy who wants to help with the day's preparations, but everyone seems to think he's in the way. Not Grandpa, though; he finds the perfect job for the boy--picking up chestnuts for roasting. These books take the time to appreciate the small moments that go into making holidays memorable, and they are also strong on extolling family relationships. Stock's gauzy watercolors are nicely drawn, featuring equal measures of mood and action. The trio is well designed, too, with festive wraparound dust jackets and stop-and-look endpapers. ~--Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Tommy enjoys the pleasures of autumn, such as playing in piles of leaves and carving pumpkins, but the prospect of encountering witches and ghosts on Halloween frightens him. When he confides his fears to his mother, she assures him that the only witches or ghosts he is likely to see will be children in disguise. After she helps him make a monster costume, he joins his friend and his friend's father for an evening of trick-or-treating. Stock handles Tommy's fears with a sensitive touch. His concerns are neither belittled nor blown out of proportion, but rather Stock shows a respectful understanding of the apprehension children can feel when faced with the unknown. Soft watercolor illustrations depict a wide-eyed, beguiling black child learning to conquer his feelings of uncertainty with the help of a loving parent. In Thanksgiving Treat , the young protagonist feels left out when the older children and grown-ups busily prepare for the annual feast. His grandfather saves the day by inviting the red-haired boy to gather chestnuts with him. The theme of feeling left out by virtue of age will certainly appeal to many children, but the idealized holiday backdrop obscures the message. Stock's lovely watercolors suggest a family so perfect that it is hard to believe its members would be insensitive to the needs of their youngest relative. --Anna DeWind, Milwaukee Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Simple, pleasant family stories about children participating in holiday festivities have homey, comfortable illustrations and a child's-eye view of these occasions. From HORN BOOK 1990, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
