Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"People gift books/ as a sign of love,/ of hope, during a dark time of year." Based around the Icelandic tradition of Jólabóka-flóðið, this picture book imagines a season in which people prepare to give books on Christmas Eve, and then read them the whole night through. Multitextured, collage-style spreads by Moss lean toward velvety evening hues as "darkness blankets the land," the aurora borealis swirling in the background. Amid a town's inhabitants, portrayed with varying skin tones, a brown-skinned child sporting a ladybug backpack also searches among the flood of new "stories to get lost in,/ to laugh at,/ to share." Attentive to timing ("Just hours remain!"), Kilgore builds excitement to Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, owls and other creatures lend a fanciful feel to the spreads, which alternate between wintry outdoor landscapes and cozy interiors. An atmospheric celebration of Christmas as a time to celebrate the written word. An author's note contextualizes Jólabókaflóðið. Ages 4--8. (Nov.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Kilgore introduces readers to a popular Icelandic tradition, where people give one another books on Christmas Eve and then read all night long. Her free-verse text sets the mood, a mix of awe and excitement as it describes the build-up to December 24 ("Could it be? That one there? Tucked just out of sight? / Yes, that magical book to bring loved ones joy"). The art complements the text, following one little girl's search for the perfect books. Moss's gorgeous full-bleed collage illustrations appropriately feature printed paper, and their rich hues perfectly capture the beauty of the northern lights. An author's note explains more about the Christmas Book Flood tradition. Cynthia K. Ritter November/December 2022 p.17(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
A long-held holiday tradition centered on the written word. As winter settles across a beautiful land, people prepare for the tradition of gifting books on Christmas Eve. They pore over bulletins and bookstore shelves to plan the perfect choices for family and friends. Scenes of holiday cheer and tight-knit community abound as the day approaches. Then, people stream into the bookshop to make their long-awaited purchases. A young brown-skinned child even makes a last-minute discovery, having found the perfect book "to bring loved ones joy." Everyone heads home for a celebration among festive decorations, sparkling lights, sumptuous food, and many loving hugs. After, they all settle in for "the best part of all"--cozy snuggles by the hearth with hot chocolate and hours of reading their new treasures. Kilgore depicts the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið, or "Christmas Book Flood," in loving, magical terms (more historical information is provided in an author's note). The art adds old-world charm while leading the narrative through blue-tinted winter nights and warm, homey interiors. Moss' lovely, heavily saturated colors seem to evoke old Currier and Ives prints with their detail to scenic landscapes, while collaged images of newsprintlike pages add texture and fun. These captivating illustrations depict a family of four (one parent and two children are brown-skinned; one parent is light-skinned) as the story's focus among a racially diverse country town. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Marvelously enchanting. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
