Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The duo behind the Davy series presents a collection of stories to be read during Advent. Tales of dwarves, trolls, and animals mix with contemporary adventures, Santa-themed stories, and more; a family of gnomes reappears in a handful of stories. Only a few stories invoke the Christian aspects of Christmas, and even those are decidedly nontraditional. In the penultimate tale, animals help clean a stable for the Son of Heaven; when they later peer into the crib, "because each of them was thinking of his or her own children, the birds saw a chick, the deer saw a fawn... and the wolf saw a cub." The stories span roughly three to four pages each, joined by graceful images from Tharlet, which capably emphasize the comical and poignant moments within. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Weninger presents two dozen short stories, meant to be shared daily as a lead-up to Christmas. They are original selections, including several about two gnome children staying with their grandfather while awaiting the birth of some new siblings. They also include folktale retellings ("Mother Holly," "Three Little Christmas Pigs," "The Twelve Months"), and traditional holiday fare. Each four-to-six page selection includes Tharlet's lovely watercolor spot art, and many feature a full-page painting. Unfortunately, "The Real Baby Jesus," about an older child who doubts the existence of the Baby Jesus, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny, is jarring and seems out of place for the intended audience. VERDICT While the majority of the narratives are pleasant and innocuous, they are not as compelling and satisfying as a cumulative tale.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal © Copyright 2015. 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.
