Review by Horn Book Review
So many decorating concepts, only one tree! The polar bear and mouse first seen in There's a Bear on My Chair alternate showing off their own ideas and rejecting each other's: tinsel, electric lights, a manatee tree-topper, lit candles (fear not: the mouse has a fire extinguisher). The funny rhyming text is all in dialogue, but it's easy to see who's speaking as the argument escalates: fonts are differentiated, and the digital illustrations make it clear who's excited about each aesthetic and who's decidedly not. All ends well, of course -- but if these two ever try decking the halls, run. Shoshana FlaxNovember/December 2023 p.12 (c) Copyright 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
The protagonists of There's a Bear on My Chair (2016) and There's a Mouse in My House (2021) disagree about how best to decorate their Christmas tree…until all nearly ends in disaster. When the polar bear arrives home with a lovely tree, the mouse pushes the bear aside and adorns the tree with huge ornaments. But the bear has a different idea and illuminates the tree with a brilliant display of lights. The mouse, of course, disapproves. And so the two continue back and forth until the tree collapses. Luckily, they find a way to put things right. The rhyming text keeps an even tempo well suited for reading aloud and includes vocabulary words like baubles and incendiary. This silly story will elicit giggles from little readers: At one point a manatee dressed as a fairy tops the tree, and at the end, after a gift exchange, the mouse and polar bear each end up wearing sweaters sized for the other. The soft illustrations, with simple solid-colored backgrounds, focus readers' attention on the unsuccessful Christmas tree decor and the reactions of the two friends. The mouse's self-satisfied look is spot-on, as is the polar bear's expression of annoyance. The length, pacing, and charming illustrations make this one a future Christmas favorite. (This book was reviewed digitally.) We agree: This is a delightful holiday tale. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
