Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The creators of The Perfect Thanksgiving celebrate another holiday in this companion book that revisits an endearingly flawed family. Once again, the narrator laments that her clan's festivities fall far short of their neighbors': "Abigail Archer's family/ is perfect as can be./ They drive into the countryside/ to chop down their Christmas tree." In contrast, "Our tree is artificial,/ completely out of shape,/ with several branches missing/ and one held on with tape." Merrily underscoring the differences between the two households, Adinolfi's quirky mixed-media art is a playful jumble of geometric shapes and holiday motifs. Ages 4-7. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-In this lighthearted rhyming companion to The Perfect Thanksgiving (Holt, 2003), the same unnamed narrator compares and contrasts her own family's Christmas preparations with those of her wealthy friend Abigail Archer. "On Christmas Eve at Abigail's/her relatives come in cars./Chauffeur-driven! Glamorous clothes!/They look like movie stars./My relatives come in pickup trucks./They clatter up the walk./They ho-ho-ho and jingle bell./They shout instead of talk." Cartoon art in bold colored pencil, gouache, and collage adds to the humor. This is a cheerful, funny, and respectful portrayal of two very different families and their holiday celebrations.-Maureen Wade, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2011. 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
Abigail Archer (from The Perfect Thanksgiving) and her family do Christmas Martha Stewart-style. Holly bedecks the halls, elegant baked goods are tastefully presented, and the attractive relatives are refined and well mannered. Taking a less-manicured approach, the narrator's family pulls out the old fake tree and the bargain bin decorations, Grandma over-bakes the cookies, and the loud pickup truck-driving relatives are not refined. The rhyming text isn't always perfectly polished, either, but the jolly collage art ties it all together, depicting each family's traditions with finesse. A Christmas snowfall brings both families outside "together / laughing and dancing / through the snow." That's the extent of the conflict, which might be a refreshing break from too much family-holiday togetherness. kitty flynn (c) Copyright 2011. 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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Spinelli and Adinolfi team up again for a look at another perfect holiday celebration, following the same families chronicled in their collaboration onThe Perfect Thanksgiving(2003).The unnamed narrator describes her family's preparations for a casual, homemade Christmas celebration, contrasting their way of doing things with those of her best friend and neighbor, Abigail Archer. In rhyming quatrains, the narrator tells about Abigail's family, "as perfect as can be," cutting their own Christmas tree, arranging elegant decorations and serving gourmet treats. The narrator's family has a more casual approach, with a scrawny, artificial tree, recycled decorations and cookies so hard one once "broke my uncle's toe." Though the comparisons are humorous and both girls seem happy, the Archer family is obviously wealthier than that of the narrator, and some of the comparisons (for example, between a chauffeur-driven limousine and a pickup truck) are both exaggerated and elitist. By the conclusion, both families are outside on equal footing, enjoying a snowfall together. Adinolfi's cheerful collage illustrations in a nave style provide a bright, detailed environment and multiracial families in both homes.The author's point may be that anyjoyous celebration with a happy family is a perfect Christmas, but this class-based comparison doesn't seem to be the aptest focus for a children's holiday story.(Picture book. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
