Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-When Robbie is chosen to make up a Christmas story and tell it to the whole school at the holiday assembly, the second grader is worried that his nervous speech impediment will embarrass him. However, he attempts to write a story, going to each of his friends and asking them for ideas. In the process, he corrects their materialistic and selfish views of Christmas, which turns out to be helpful at the assembly. The plot is formulaic and the writing is stiff; there is nothing in the text to hold readers' attention. The illustrations have a cartoonlike, quirky charm, but they are not enough to rescue this heavy-handed tale.-E. M. (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
When an unbelievably oblivious teacher selects the shyest second grader in her class to write a Christmas story and read it at an all-school assembly, three classmates leap on stage to his rescue and tell how, earlier, he helped them learn the true meaning of Christmas. Fortunately, the story's snappy pace and cartoony pastel illustrations keep it from being too saccharine. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Redheaded Robbie is a shy but well-liked second-grader who gets so tongue-tied in front of the class that he speaks in nonsense phrases, reproduced in the text in a loopy cursive type font. When Robbie is chosen at random to give a speech in front of the entire school, he asks his three friends for help with his preparations, but instead of receiving help, he ends up offering solid advice to each friend about the true meaning of the Christmas spirit. During Robbie's nightmare speech, when he can only stammer out gibberish, his three friends come up to the stage and tell how Robbie ("a little angel with red hair") helped each of them. Melanson's retro-inspired illustrations use varied perspectives; unusual shades of burgundy, gray, and gold; and funny, round-headed kids that complement the droll humor of the story. Too much lesson, perhaps, but a "flurry Flickmas to all" anyway. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
