If Animals Celebrated Christmas (If Animals Kissed Good Night)

A sweet, cozy book to share with young children as Christmas approaches.

In the third entry in their If Animals series, Paul and Walker ponder how animal families might prepare for Christmas. If animals were to celebrate the holiday, "Crabs would scamper from the deep, dark sea, / and build a seashell Christmas tree" while, under a starry sky, "Papa and Mama Buffalo/ would grunt greetings and kiss beneath mistletoe." Walker illustrates in a cozy, smudgy art style that lovingly depicts the animal babies and parents in a range of wilderness settings. If Koala celebrated Christmas, she would hang her stocking from a tree and, after cuddling with her Mama and Papa, "she'd fall asleep in her high-branch bed/ with visions of reindeer flying through her head--/ a team of them!--/ fast on their way." A satisfying final spread shows a polar bear Santa with a sleigh full of toys. Ages 2-6. (Sept.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

The rhymes and action words throughout provide extra pep for this already-spirited tale. 

Beyond cute, without sliding into saccharine. . .The illustrations, with washes of color and starry skies, are done on a flat plane that brings the action close. The rhymes and action words throughout provide extra pep for this already-spirited tale. —Booklist