Toot and Puddle are back in a brand new adventure in I'll Be Home for Christmas by Holly Hobbie.  Toot is in Edinburgh at a family reunion.  His Great-Great Aunt Peg has just turned 100 years old!  Christmas is just days away, but he has promised Puddle that he will be home in time to share the holiday.

Back in Woodcock Pocket, Puddle eagerly prepares for Christmas and Toot's arrival.  With the assistance of his feathery friend, Tulip, the pair have pulled out all the stops to celebrate in style.  The only thing that's missing is Toot.

Suddenly, a dangerous ice storm hits Edinburgh.  All flights are delayed.  Will Toot miss spending Christmas with his best friend? 

I adore this book!  Hobbie's story is full of cheer and heart.  Her classic Toot and Puddle characters truly shine in this heartwarming tale.  I absolutely love the humor that is sprinkled throughout the story.  From calling Great-Great Aunt Peg an "ancient aunt" to the gift of a "lucky nut," I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading.

Another aspect of the story that I love is how the story toggles between Toot's journey homeward and Puddle's Christmas preparations.  Starting off the book with a postcard is such a fun and unique idea.  I also like how Hobbie leaves room for the imagination.  I don't want to give anything away, but pay close attention to the ending.    

Hobbie's illustrations are gorgeous.  Toot and Puddle could not be any cuter.  She really makes the scenes come alive with the use of warm colors for Puddle's story and cool colors for Toot's story.  Hobbie also keeps things fresh by alternating between sing page illustrations, multiple vignettes, and double page spreads.

This is a fantastic, festive book for readers of all ages. 


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Which Way to Witch School? by Scott Santoro takes the reader on a magical journey to Miss Thornapple's School for Proper Young Witches.  Young witches in haunted houses across the land are busily preparing for the rapidly approaching school year.  Packing their belongings into their hats, they wait for their bus driver to appear.

The sprightly specter collects the witches and flies the bus into the night.  The journey is long, but the witches don't mind.  They talk about potions, spells, gossip, and more.  Who knows what this school year will have in store?

I love this book!  I am a huge fan of Halloween picture books, especially those involving witches.  Santoro creates a magical world filled with mischief and fun.  This story is a mix between The World's Worst Witch meets The Magic School Buss.  I also love the fact that this is a rhyming picture book.

Santoro's illustrations are fresh and have a comic book type flair.  I think that his subtle nods to modern pop culture are hilarious.  I especially love the nod to the beloved classic The Wizard of Oz.

This is a spooktacular read for children ages 4-8.

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​Iggy Pig is back in a wintry adventure in Iggy Pig's Snowball Fight! by Vivian French.  One cold, winter day, Iggy Pig wakes up and discovers that the farm is covered in snow.  His mother tells him that snow is not for eating, but playing.

As she helps Iggy with his scarf and mittens, there is a knock at the door.  Mother Pig opens the door only to find that there is no one there.  Iggy races into the winter wonderland and finds a set of foot prints.  

The pondering pig is sure that the foot prints belong to his friend, Dusty Dog.  Iggy sets out on a quest to find his furry friend.  Will Iggy uncover adventure along the way?

I really like this book.  I thought that French's story was fun and whimsical.  I also love that the story has elements of mystery and suspense.

David Melling's illustrations are adorable.  I fell in love with all of the farm animals.  I really love the hidden flip book contained in the upper right hand corner involving Chicky Chick.  

This is a great read for children ages 3-6.

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In Mary Engelbreit's A Merry Little Christmas:  Celebrate From A to Z, she guides children through the alphabet via a family of mice who are preparing for Christmas.  Each letter has a connection to something dealing with the most wonderful time of the year.  This is anything but your typical concept book.

Engelbreit brings the alphabet to life with her gorgeous and well-known illustrations.  The pages are bursting with adorable characters and magical winter scenes.  Children will delight in counting down to Christmas with the woodland creatures.

Her rhymes for each letter are absolutely charming and original.  Engelbreit keeps things fresh by alternating the focus from the alphabet letter to the illustrations on each page.  This held as well as peaked my interest.

Overall, this is a wonderfully festive read for children ages 3-8.

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The Little Drummer Mouse by Mercer Mayer is a twist on a holiday classic.  Little mouse is the smallest of his brothers and sisters.  His mother constantly worries that he will get lost.  She decides to make a drum for him out of an acorn.

The little mouse loves playing his drum.  He plays it everywhere that he goes.  But the town's creatures are tired of the noisy mouse.

Meanwhile, the town has just received word that the royal family who is to give birth to the new king of the world will be passing through their very forest.  They quickly begin making preparations for the  regal convoy.

When the town's creatures think they have been stood up by the royal family, they decide to celebrate anyway.  But the little mouse soon discovers something that will change their lives forever.

I thought that this was a fun take on a Christmas classic.  Mayer weaves the story of little mouse so beautifully.  I also love the idea of animals celebrating the birth of the king.

The illustrations are absolutely stunning.  With images that fill the page, children will be drawn to the festive, winter scenes.  I also love how Mayer amplifies the world of animals.

The only disconnect that I found with this story was the fact that the humans could talk to the animals.  I feel that this takes a lot of the magic and mystery out of the tale.  When I was a child, I loved the idea of animals helping humans without their knowledge.  To me, having the animals interact with the humans takes away a bit of the story's sparkle.

Overall, this is a fun read for children ages 3-6.


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In Little Porcupine's Christmas by Joseph Slate, the animals of Creature Creek School are preparing for the Baby in the Manger play.  Porcupine can't wait to try out for a part.  When he arrives at tryouts, his classmates are less than kind.

All of the parts have been assigned.  Porcupine must now be part of the stage crew.  He helps design the sets.  He keeps the stage clean.  But when a disaster threatens the play, will he have the courage to help the classmates that ridiculed him?

I thought this was a sweet story.  My heart ached for Porcupine.  I think that readers of all ages will relate to the theme of not judging a book by its cover.

Felicia Bond's illustrations are outstanding.  Having illustrated such classics as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, children will instantly recognize her work in the Creature Creek students.  Her characters are adorable as well as iconic.

This is a wonderful read for children ages 3-6.


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Tacky's Christmas by Helen Lester transports the reader to the magical (and frigid) Nice Icy Land.  All of the penguins are excitedly getting ready for Christmas.  There are gifts to be wrapped, decorations to be hung, and carols to be sung.

Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect have everything organized and running like clockwork.  And then there's Tacky.  This particular penguin is one odd bird.

His wrapping skills need some work.  The decorations he makes are unique to say the least.  But when a band of hunters arrive and threaten to ruin the penguins' Christmas party, could Tacky be the one to outsmart them all? 

I thought this was a fun read.  Lester's characters are humerous, especially Tacky.  I also love the names that she uses for the penguins.  Tacky is reminiscent of that one family member who is just a bit different, but loved all the same.

Lynn Munsinger's illustrations are hilarious!  She depicts Tacky's oddities in the funniest of ways.  Children will delight in Tacky's wacky antics.

This is a wonderfully festive read for children ages 3-6.


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Archie by Domenica  More Gordon tells the tale of a dog fashionista.  One day, Archie receives a sewing machine from his Great Aunt Betty.  He seems perplexed by the gift but becomes inspired when he looks at his own pet dog.

With a few snips of the scissors and some carefully placed stitches, Archie has made a coat for his pet.  While out on a walk together, he is approached by a female dog wanting a dress for her pet.  The pair become the talk of the town.

Archie's phone begins ringing off the hook.  Everyone wants to wear his designs.  Will Archie be able to keep up with all of the demands?

I thought this was a fun read.  The story is nearly wordless and focuses on Gordon's whimsical illustrations.  Children will love the cast of colorful canine characters.

I do struggle with the fact that the story doesn't seem to have a plot.  The main character doesn't appear to face any obstacles.  I am also greatly confused at the idea of a dog owning a dog as a pet.  This made me wonder why some dogs get to obtain their freedom and walk around on two legs while others are forced to be a pet on all fours.  I thought this to be the greatest disconnect with the book.

Overall, this is a fun read for children ages 3-6.


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Friends by Michael Foreman follows the adventures of a feral cat and his fish friend named Bubble.  The cat has the freedom to wander the city.  He can come and go as he pleases.  His friend, Bubble, doesn't have the same luxury.

Instead, Bubble is stuck in his small tank.  He spends his days swimming in circles and sighing.  One day, the cat gets an idea.  He knows exactly how to help his friend.  Now Bubble must choose between his freedom and the only friend he has ever known.

I absolutely love this book!  While the text is sparse, the story definitely packs a punch.  My heart ached for the cat and Bubble.  They have a unique friendship that gets tested in a big way.

Foreman's illustrations are big, bold, and full of heart.  I love the vibrant color palette in addition to his placement of the main characters who always remain at the center of each picture.  Children will fall in love with the wide-eyed cat and multi-colored Bubble.

This is a fantastic read for children ages 4-8 and for anyone who needs a reminder of what true friendship means. 


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Snow Dog's Journey by Loretta Krupinski follows the winter time adventures of siblings Anna and Olen.  The pair love to play in the snow.  Anna decides to build a snow dog instead of a snow man.

The children fall in love with their snowy creation.  They even provide a scarf and hat to keep him warm.  Later that night, the Frost King, bringer of all snow, flew overhead.  Spying the cool canine, he stopped and decided to make the pooch his companion.

Snow Dog can't believe that he has come to life!  The Frost King happily scoops him up and flies back to his icy palace.  Snow Dog cares greatly for the King, but deeply misses Anna and Olen.  He must now make the ultimate decision:  live forever with the King or risk melting away to be with the children he loves.

I thought this was a fantastic read.  The story is a mixture of Frosty the Snowman meets Pinocchio.  Krupinski has created in-depth characters that are full of heart.  The idea of a Frost King bringing the winter snow is truly magical.  Children will love the sense of fantasy that this story evokes.

Krupinski's illustrations are stunning.  Most of the scenes take place at night.  She does a magnificent job of balancing the dark background with cool blue tones to create winter pictures that will make readers want to snuggle up with a blanket a mug of cocoa.

This is a wonderful book for animal lovers of all ages. 


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