Christmas Makes Me Think

The holiday wouldn't be complete without a little dose of morality to offset the avariciousness of the season. This well-intentioned story's young narrator considers aspects of Christmas such as baking a cake with Grandma and "presents piled to the moon." Then he thinks "all these trees that never make it to the next Christmas" and considers "how much better it would be . . . [to] visit a turkey or a pig . . . instead of eating one. . . ." By sharing with the homeless and poor, he says, youngsters could become "new Santas." Flat collage illustrations combine cut paper, paint and colored pencil. A list of "resources for kids who want to get more involved" in community projects is included.

"The spunky young narrator is appealing, and newcomer Cox's bright palette contrasts with the usual holiday palette."

"A different look at the Christmas holiday is presented in this picture book. A young African American boy reflects on the joys of the Christmas holidays-no school, special foods, decorated trees, and lots of presents-when he begins to think about trees cut down, animals slaughtered for Christmas dinner, and the hungry and homeless. He then thinks of ways to improve Christmas-feeding animals, sharing toys with the less fortunate, and giving warm clothing and food to the homeless. [T]he message. . . is. . . an important one. The colorful illustrations are excellent. They carry well and do a good job conveying the story. An author's note provides readers with ideas for helping others. There is also a short bibliography listing five titles for further reading. This is a worthwhile Christmas title for most collections."