Review by New York Times Review
Three cowboys, Dwight, Darryl and Dub, along with Cookie the chef, are waiting for "Santy Claus." But how will he find them out on the range? Hearts a-worrying, they sit around the campfire, recalling Christmases past. Full of corn-poke phrases like "knee-high to a grasshopper" and "darn tootin'," the text is sure to elicit a giggle, and the simple story, complete with its jingling-bells ending, is the cheery kind children seem to cling to this time of year. Older children will notice that Santa isn't quite who he seems, but their younger siblings will believe. DADDY CHRISTMAS AND HANUKKAH MAMA Written and illustrated by Selina Alko. 32 pp. Alfred A. Knopf. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Doesn't this describe half of Brooklyn? Perhaps not strictly speaking; but the subject of interfaith families is a welcome one. No arguments over Israel or the "war on Christmas" here. In the narrator's wholehearted and seamlessly interwoven celebration, Daddy Christmas gamely cooks latkes, and Hanukkah Mama is happy to hang stockings. Together they "carol to the neighbors about Maccabees and the manger." Alko's charming mixed media illustrations provide lots of bells and holly. Next up, Eastover. SANTA FROM CINCINNATI By Judi Barrett. Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. 48 pp. Atheneum. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) What was Santa like when he was a baby? And where was he born? Barrett ("Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs") takes up these questions with her tale of Baby Boy Claus, born Dec. 25, "many, many, many years ago" in Cincinnati. "I was jolly and roly-poly and had rosy cheeks from Day 1," the adult Santa recalls. "My obsession with toys started early." Soon he is making his own playthings, which his father teaches him to do, using a set of professional tools. One day, Santa realized he had too many toys. Who says you can't tweak a legend? In this witty modern take, Santa even has GPS. THE CHRISTMAS TUGBOAT How the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Came to New York City. By George Matteson and Adele Ursone. Illustrated by James E. Ransome. 48 pp. Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 5 to 9) Bedford Falls has its charms of course, but is there anything more festive than Christmas in New York? And what could be cooler than having a New York Harbor tugboat captain for a father, especially when he gets to haul the annual Christmas tree to Rockefeller Center? In this first-person narrative, the captain's daughter gets to help. There are all kinds of rituals, from making hot oatmeal below deck to singing barge lullabies softly at night. Ransome's rich paintings lend warmth to the wind-chilled scenes. Not every child gets this kind of adventure for Christmas, of course. But most will very gladly read all about it. EMANUEL AND THE HANUKKAH RESCUE By Heidi Smith Hyde. Illustrated by Jamel Akib. 32 pp. Kar-Ben. Cloth, $17.95. Paper, $7.95. (Picture book; ages 5 to 9) In the 18th century, a group of oppressed Portuguese Jews immigrated to the whaling town of New Bedford, Mass., and became merchants. Nine-year-old Emanuel works in his father's shop, dreaming of going to sea and one day openly celebrating the Sabbath and Hanukkah with candles in the window, rather than lighted behind drawn shades. After another holiday of disappointment, Emanuel runs away, sneaking aboard ship. Light performs multiple roles in this fascinating glimpse at a little-known slice of Jewish American history, beautifully rendered in chalk pastels. PAMELA PAUL ONLINE A slide show of this week's illustrated books at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [December 2, 2012]
Review by Booklist Review
At Sadie's house, she has a mix of two traditions, and so begins the description of what life is like with Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama. Christmas trees and candles, angels and menorahs all come into play. Songs about dreidels and a silent night are sung. Ironically, it's Daddy Christmas who knows how to make the latkes and kugel dressing for the turkey. Then the relatives come and everyone tells stories of their own traditions. The wonderful artwork has a definite Maira Kalman look and feel. Using bits of collage for everything from the tree branches to the steam coming from the latkes, the inventive pictures not only help spring the story from the occasionally unremarkable text but they also perfectly capture the love that everyone in this mixed household shares. Religion often leads to arguments more than affection, so this is a book that could (and perhaps should) provoke discussion. It will certainly be a boon for families that need a road map to help them navigate the holidays.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"I am a mix of two traditions," begins Sadie's story of her family's way of blending religious traditions. Like the image of the dining table surrounded by a hodge-podge of mismatched chairs, each picture underscores the theme of blending elements to create an exciting whole ("How lucky am I?"). Alko's (B Is for Brooklyn) prose tends to be blandly declarative ("Mountains of gifts are placed under the tree for eight nights of Hanukkah, plus Christmas Day"), but her illustrations grab attention, an exuberant combination of colors, textures, and images created by gouache, collage, and colored pencil. Ages 5-8. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-Sadie is one lucky kid-her Christian father and Jewish mother create a holiday mash-up with elements of both Christmas and Hanukkah tossed about with gay abandon. They scatter gelt under the tree and have a menorah hung with candy canes, Santa's treat is potato latkes, and they "carol to the neighbors about Maccabees and the manger." The extended families willingly participate in the combined holiday feast and listen to tales from both traditions. The gouache, collage, and colored-pencil illustrations are a lively addition to the cheerful holiday chaos. Alko includes a recipe for cranberry kugel dressing. This is not in any way a typical holiday celebration, but it certainly is a joyful one. Perfect for a multicultural holiday program.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2012. 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 Kirkus Book Review
A little girl celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah at her house, combining holiday traditions from the two sides of her family. Narrator Sadie has a cheerful attitude about her family's diverse heritage, matched by the vibrant colors and creative composition of the illustrations, which are done in mixed-media collage incorporating bits of fabric and paper. There is no actual mention of the two religions, and the holiday celebrations are treated more as cultural events rather than religious ones. Sadie and her parents decorate the house for both holidays, including a tree with gelt scattered underneath and candy canes hanging from the menorah on the mantelpiece. A special dinner with the extended family for the last night of Hanukkah includes references to the relevant stories of the miracle of the oil and "the animals in the manger, waiting for the baby to be born" (a slight misstep, of course; the animals were in the stable, waiting for the baby, who was placed in the manger). A recipe for cranberry kugel dressing is included, along with a timeline of most major Jewish, Christian and secular holidays throughout the year. An appealing story that will interest many families. (Picture book/religion.4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
