ISBN 0760794723 - Printed and bound in China, because I'm keeping track. I love childrens' books and I love childrens' Christmas books even more, so 1-starring one is a tough thing for me to do. This book, however, deserves no more!
As Santa prepares for Christmas Eve, his smallest reindeer, Rory, decides to climb into the sleigh to see the toys. Not aware that he's there, Santa takes off and Rory is taken along. When the moon sneezes and blows the sleigh this way and that, Santa drops the reins. Rory leaps to the rescue and is rewarded by being allowed to continue with Santa for the rest of the night.
The story, by Moira Butterfield, could almost pass for cute. The reason I'm thoroughly unimpressed is that the book seems to have been built around the gimmick, rather than the gimmick being built into the book. The story is short and rushed and seems to exist just to house the button you can press to sing along to "Up On the House Top" (composed by Benjamin Hanby, who is not credited on the book, shame on them). That button is the biggest problem. It's a nice idea and has been done, successfully, for years. With a successful track record, of course it stands to reason that the publisher would do it a new way - why stick with what works? Unlike other books, this one has a button that cannot be opened, that works on a battery (one assumes) that will die and cannot be replaced. That means that after a short time, what you've got is a very short, rushed story in a book that exists to house a button that doesn't work. Bad.
The illustrations, by Andrea Petrlik Huseinovic, are vibrant and colorful and might be the only part of this book that didn't disappoint. Not worth picking up, unless you can be sure the button's still working and you're willing to accept that it won't be working for too long.
- AnnaLovesBooks
As Santa prepares for Christmas Eve, his smallest reindeer, Rory, decides to climb into the sleigh to see the toys. Not aware that he's there, Santa takes off and Rory is taken along. When the moon sneezes and blows the sleigh this way and that, Santa drops the reins. Rory leaps to the rescue and is rewarded by being allowed to continue with Santa for the rest of the night.
The story, by Moira Butterfield, could almost pass for cute. The reason I'm thoroughly unimpressed is that the book seems to have been built around the gimmick, rather than the gimmick being built into the book. The story is short and rushed and seems to exist just to house the button you can press to sing along to "Up On the House Top" (composed by Benjamin Hanby, who is not credited on the book, shame on them). That button is the biggest problem. It's a nice idea and has been done, successfully, for years. With a successful track record, of course it stands to reason that the publisher would do it a new way - why stick with what works? Unlike other books, this one has a button that cannot be opened, that works on a battery (one assumes) that will die and cannot be replaced. That means that after a short time, what you've got is a very short, rushed story in a book that exists to house a button that doesn't work. Bad.
The illustrations, by Andrea Petrlik Huseinovic, are vibrant and colorful and might be the only part of this book that didn't disappoint. Not worth picking up, unless you can be sure the button's still working and you're willing to accept that it won't be working for too long.
- AnnaLovesBooks
