The Biggest Little Boy: A Christmas Story

PreS-Gr 3--Luca, a little boy with brown skin, curly hair. and red glasses, lives in New York City and thinks bigger is always better. He likes everything big--trucks, toys, buildings, and trees. He loves to climb the tallest tree in the park. So when it's Christmas time, Luca wants the largest tree to call his own, but none seem quite tall enough. When he stumbles over a tree just his size, Luca has a sudden change of heart and decides that special comes in every size. In this quick-paced picture book with sparse text, the resolution feels a bit forced. The illustrations provide a charming look at Christmas in New York City. VERDICT Journalist Harlow's debut picture book seeks to create a cheery story of self-acceptance, but it falls flat. Most libraries will find that this book does not enhance their collections.--Monisha Blair, Glasgow M.S., Alexandria, VA

A little boy who loves big things discovers that appreciating the small is the key to holiday joy in this simple yet comforting picture book debut by CNN news anchor Harlow. For Luca, a light brown-skinned child with round red glasses, bigger is always better: trucks, toys, bowls of pasta, and especially trees. Luca's focus on finding the enormous Christmas tree of his dreams drives the family's search, as they take in seasonal sights while snow gently flurries and more lights begin to twinkle in Kaulitzki's warm, atmospheric spreads of their busy city neighborhood. Luca's parents--his mother appears to be Black, and his father appears white--wisely counsel, "We'll know our tree when we see it." As Luca finally discovers the unexpectedly perfect pine just days before the holiday, small readers will find reassurance in the adage that size doesn't matter. Ages 3-7. (Nov.)