Merry Christmas, Spot!

Baby-Toddler--In this guessing game-style board book, young readers are asked to guess what Christmas presents Spot and his friends are going to unwrap. The text is a series of various questions on the theme of "What did [friend's name] get for Christmas?" The presents are tightly wrapped, which makes the guessing somewhat easier. For example, it is obvious that Spot will unwrap a new bicycle and Helen has been given ice skates. Although, Tom's old-fashioned toboggan-style sled may be a harder (or a new) concept for some little ones. Scenes in the book are classic Christmas, featuring a decorated tree, a lit candle in a wreath-draped window, and a holly-adorned Christmas stocking. Artwork is the simple yet colorful clean-lined illustrations readers will recognize as distinctly Spot. The oversize flap style is a better design for the busy life of a library book: The flaps fold out as extensions of the page rather than being small and easily damaged, or having finger notches for opening. While no new ground is covered in this work, guessing what's underneath wrapping paper never gets old. VERDICT Purchase where Spot is popular.--Sarah Sieg

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