HOW MANY SLEEPS UNTIL CHRISTMAS?!, an Advent book for the eager little Yule-loving elf

HOW MANY SLEEPS UNTIL CHRISTMAS?!
REBECCA PATTERSON (Illus. Luciano Lozano)
Happy Yak (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$18.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Packed with the magic of Christmas, this funny picture book about a child counting down to Christmas is the perfect story to celebrate the holiday season.

Join the countdown to Christmas in this festive family frolic of a picture book! This hilarious and heart-warming story features everyone’s favorite Christmas activities and captures the exciting build-up to the big day.

“LOOK! LOOK! LOOK! IT’S CHRISTMAS!”
“Not yet!” said Mummy.
“How many sleeps?!”
Mummy had a long think. “Fifty-three.”
“Not long now!”
“Quite long,” said Mummy.

Full of Christmas chaos and festive fun, such as singing carols (A LOT), decorating the tree, wrapping presents (or siblings!), preparing for Santa's arrival . . . and many more sweet family memories.

How Many Sleeps Until Christmas?! is full of character and personality. The family setting will strike a familiar chord with parents and impatient young readers who just can’t wait until the big day! This is a joyful book to celebrate the holiday season, and a perfect Christmas gift.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: It's like a bound version of an Advent calendar. It starts with Halloween decorations tripping the inner holiday alarm:

this just tickles me no end

...and on we go, asking The Question again and again and again.

...but, as the adults know it must, the day arrives:

I was captivated from the title to the artwork to the clever lines. I'd say it's pretty solidly a lap-reader's book...a little too advanced for the ones who need it most and not as necessary for the first-graders. Of course, that's just on average; every kid is different and you know your young giftees the best. Don't overlook this adorable helper with the eager, overeager really, holiday maven in your clan.

It's really big fun to read aloud!

JINGLE JUMBLE SANTA, a board book for the newest little lap-reader

JINGLE JUMBLE SANTA
SPENCER WILSON (artist)
Happy Yak (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$9.99 board book, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Jingle-Jumble Santa features Santa as you’ve never seen him before. Surfing Santa is funny on its own, let alone combined with skiing Santa’s legs! And picture chef Santa in his kitchen on top, combined with fishing Santa sitting in his boat... The final spread will show classic Christmas Santa all ready for Christmas Eve.

Have silly scrambled fun with these mix-and-match Santas that all have crazy, colourful personalities. Over 144 combinations to keep little ones entertained for hours.

In this wacky split-page board book, meet...
Jungle Santa! Zipping through the trees.
Keep-fit Santa! Working up a sweat.
Chef Santa! Cooking up a storm.

But also...
Jungle Santa! Cooking up a storm.
Keep-fit Santa! Zipping through the trees.
Chef Santa! Working up a sweat.

Featuring a dozen loveable Santas, this playful pre-school offering is full of humour, with the final page seeing Santa have a close call with a chimney on Christmas Eve...

Exciting matching game for laughing and bonding with your little one

Ideal Christmas gift for babies and toddlers

A precious keepsake from Christmas that can be re-read year-round

A crazy range of Santa characters to surprise and entertain

What’s the funniest Santa you can make? Read together at playtime or before bed! Or share with your friends and family to really crack them up laughing!
A delightfully silly book that makes an ideal Christmas gift for 1-4-year-olds, which will then be picked up from the shelf year-round for non-stop fun. Perfect for sitting down with your little one and laughing together at the crazy combinations you come up with. Fun, bright images to help keep kids entertained and distracted, and the interactive, split-page format makes this a quirky and exciting read for any time of day.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: It's all in the gimmick. Flipping different parts of pages at different times in the read creates cute, unlikely Santas.

They're neither great art nor superb literature, but I can't think of too many better ways to entertain the newest arrival on St. Nicholas Night.

I'M GOING TO EAT A POLAR BEAR, happy eyes for Dad/Gran, the idea of fiction introduced to Junior

I'M GOING TO EAT A POLAR BEAR
KARL NEWSON (illus. Nicola Kinnear)
Happy Yak (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$18.99 hardcover, hardcover

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: A little penguin is hungry but bored of eating fish and decides it wants to eat something different! An older penguin recalls hearing of a fluffy creature called a polar bear, so the little penguin sets off to find one. On arrival at the North Pole, the penguin can’t see a polar bear anywhere and eventually turns back home. Unbeknownst to hungry penguin, though, an equally hungry polar bear is following right behind...

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: What a silly idea! A penguin, sick of fish, decides that the food they want is a polar bear...you can see already how this would get a five-year-old interested, starting with "polar bears live in the Arctic, not penguins!" Learning is sometimes the enemy of fun...until kids learn about how stories do silly things to tell fun stories that can't really happen. The idea of fiction has to be taught sooner or later...and a young lap-reader will enjoy the sounds of the book and how they feel like the artwork.

dunno 'bout you but I'd hang this one on my wall

I adore the art, I love the idea of the little penguin taking agency and making up their mind to take action, the entire exercise feels like it's going to set some seeds to stratify in a curious little mind.
Very much a lap-reader story, plenty of chances to instruct on natural-world realities, and good gracious won't you have a good time looking at this beautiful object! a win-win for St. Nicholas Night!

MONSTERS AT CHRISTMAS, a "Where's Waldo?"esque early-reader delight for the season

MONSTERS AT CHRISTMAS
LAURA BAKER(illus. Nina Dzyvulska)
Happy Yak
$18.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Monsters at Christmas is a zany picture book, packed with festive, mischievous monsters preparing for Christmas!

Merry monsters, hairy monsters, monsters trailing slime. Shiny monsters, tiny monsters, all at Christmas time!

Children will love this super-fun title packed with hilarious monsters preparing for Christmas! Follow the monsters as they play in the snow and slide on the ice, decorate the house, and go shopping for presents...and watch out for Santa monster hiding in every scene!

There is plenty to spot on every page, with playful, bright artwork, and lots of festive, amusing mishaps.

Energetic, wacky, and characterful monsters are drawn in a vibrant, contemporary style by Ukranian illustrator Nina Dzyvulska—spot Sprinkle monster baking up a storm, Teeth monster decking all the halls, and Roar monster trying out Santa’s sleigh!

The simple narrative with fun wordplay and a gentle rhyme is perfect for reading aloud, ideal for preschoolers and early readers as they build up their vocabulary and reading confidence.

This bold, bright, and playful book is sure to be enjoyed time and time again by young readers as they are thrilled by the merry escapades of the Christmas monsters!

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Apparently I am a "children" as desribed in the synopsis for the book because I loved "this super-fun title packed with hilarious monsters" so much I spent the whole time I was reading it giggling.

Is that not something that makes you wish for a lap-reading aged child?!


I wish baking was actually like this. It would be even more fun.


Glorious, daffy fun for you and the kidlet on your lap...all too seldom can one say that about a kids' book, usually the experience is pretty much the same-ol' same-ol'...not here!

If you can think of a better way to spend an evening of play with a kid than laughing along with this inspired daffiness, good on ya, but try this one out anyway. I'll wager every kid you read it to (or even better, who reads it to you!) enjoys it...and finds Santa every time, too.