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Summary
Summary
Anna shares her big sister wisdom with her new baby brother in this story by telling him how he can identify when Christmas is coming. From seeing frost on the window, to putting lights on fences and going out to pick up a perfect tree, she also explains how they can make the time go faster by making cookies and cards.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Anna tells her little brother how to know that Christmas is coming, since he wasn't there last year. She talks about lights and trees and decorations and relatives visiting, and sugar cookies, of course. Conversational prose complements spreads that feature impressionistic pastel colors. Some pages also include vignettes, and all elements combine successfully to present an older sister's perspective and love-filled explanations.-Lisa Falk, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Delightfully different illustrations in a na™f style are the glowing heart of this cheerful story of a little girl's preparations for Christmas. Bogacki's characters have the look of big, floppy rag dolls, and his flattened perspective, simple shapes and scratched details with the look of finger-painting add to the childlike appeal of his paintings. The cover shows the main character, Anna, reaching out for her baby brother, who is popping out of a package under the Christmas tree. This foreshadows the volume's conclusion: that the new baby is the family's best Christmas gift. In the story's first-person narration, Anna tells her baby brother all about the holiday, using a repetitive structure that underscores the anticipatory nature of the season. She describes the stages of getting ready and each activity to her brother, explaining all their family traditions such as making cards and presents, choosing a tree, baking cookies and welcoming the grandparents. The linear timeline will, of course, help younger children listening to the story to understand the progression of the season, as well as provide a starting point for discussions of their own family Christmas traditions. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Narrating the text, a little girl tells her baby brother how to recognize that Christmas is coming and explains how their family prepares for it. A snowfall and Mama hanging a wreath on the door are early signs, followed by a difficult period of waiting that is made bearable by making cards and presents and writing a letter to Santa. Tree decorating, cookie baking, and the grandparents' arrival lead up to Christmas morning, where the best present of all is her new baby brother. There's a slight disconnect between text and illustrations, as the brother looks more like a toddler than an infant, but the story accurately depicts a child's anticipation of Christmas and her satisfaction with the annual family traditions. Addressing herself to her little brother affirms her role in passing on those traditions. Bogacki contributes a series of charming, lightly stylized illustrations, warm with chalk-box colors and full of seasonal details for children to enjoy.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2007 Booklist
