Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
After one family leaves extra-delicious cookies out for Santa, he comes back for more on New Year's Eve--and doesn't leave. But it's not only Santa, notes the picture book's child narrator, portrayed with brown skin. His wife, child, and kitten arrive on Valentine's Day, his in-laws come on Easter, and pretty soon it's a daily Christmas blowout. Rhyming, irreverent lines from Sharff take readers blow-by-blow through the ordeal: "Each meal was full of Christmas cheer,/ With treats and sweets to spare--/ With eggnog in our cereal,/ Confetti in our hair!" Polished, high-energy cartooning by Kaban visualizes constant-Christmas chaos across an elf and human cast of varying skin tones. The narrator's creative solution neatly resolves this extended consideration of the possibility of too much Christmas. Ages 4--7. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--When Santa comes to visit, he loves the young protagonist's cookies so much that he returns on New Year's Eve and stays through Valentine's Day. And then Easter, and Mother's Day. A never-ending Christmas seems like it would be every child's dream, but it's not all it's cracked up to be. Mrs. Claus arrives for Valentine's Day, of course; the Easter Bunny joins in at Easter, along with all her baby bunnies. By the 4th of July the house is too full, and the family is sick of eating Christmas dinner every day. But Santa won't go. Even soliciting help from the mayor to evict him goes awry. It's not until the young girl turns the tables on Santa, overloading him with Christmas presents and cheer, that he's finally able to see the error of his ways--and that part of what makes Christmas Day so special is that it's only once a year. Told through rhyming couplets and accompanied by vibrant illustrations full of the color and movement, this is a fun and silly story that will be giggled over while shared time and again during the holiday season. The protagonist is biracial, with a dad who is white and a mom who has brown skin; a variety of skin tones are represented in both humans and elves. VERDICT Holiday high jinks reminiscent of Caralyn's Buehner's Snowmen at Night make this a worthy addition to the holiday fare for all libraries.--Jennifer Noonan
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Review by Horn Book Review
"Each meal was full of Christmas cheer, / With treats and sweets to spare." What happens when Santa returns to one family's house on New Year's Eve (he really liked their Christmas cookies) and doesn't leave? And then his extended family and pets show up, too? This story imagines the almost-year-long celebration/intrusion. It's festive fun at first (mostly to the young narrator, not to her parents), but eventually only Santa and his gang are enjoying it. Kaban's energetic cartoon illustrations, featuring a creative problem-solving Black girl in an interracial family, capture the over-the-top premise, making the most of the hilarious chaos. Kitty Flynn November/December 2022 p.20(c) Copyright 2022. 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
Santa overstays his welcome after Christmas, overwhelming a family with North Pole visitors. It's hard to imagine a world in which Santa's everyday presence would be too much, but that's what happens to one child and their family after Santa visits and stays. What's more, it's not just Santa who moves in; it's Mrs. Claus; their kitten, Santa Paws; Santa's parents and in-laws; even the reindeer. As the year goes by and the family observes various holidays, such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, all with too much Yuletide cheer, the child eventually steps in and teaches Santa a lesson about the sanctity and joy of Christmas. Sharff's rhyming text reads well, giving the story a bouncy pace while keeping the pages turning. Kaban's illustrations feature a multiracial central family and character ensemble, and the child who narrates the story has brown skin; Santa is light-skinned, while Mrs. Claus is tan-skinned. In addition, the illustrations convey a feeling of movement and action, whether it's Easter bunnies hopping around the house or a chaotic Fourth of July party. Together, the story and art make for a smileworthy book with lots of playful silliness and a gentle reminder about the heart of Christmas. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Too much Santa is a bad thing done just right. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
