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A Christmas Too Big
A little too much Christmas cheer… Kerry’s family goes completely berserk with Christmas every year. Starting the day after Thanksgiving, her home becomes a whirlwind of lights, music, and elves, elves, elves! Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming. This year, Kerry is desperate for some peace and quiet. Heading outdoors, she realizes a lot of her neighbors are having a Christmas too big. But not Mrs. Flores. She’s having a much quieter Christmas, complete with decorations and music from the country where she used to live. It sparks an maybe there’s a way for Kerry to create her own Christmas traditions. But will anyone in her crazy Christmas house understand? Join Kerry as she finds her voice in this delightful holiday tale.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published November 2, 2021
18 people are currently reading
3959 people want to read
About the author
Colleen Madden
70 books46 followersAfter spending her childhood doodling, making wookie noises, pretending to be other interesting people, Colleen Madden grew up to write and draw children’s literature so she could keep doing those things. Her works as an author/illustrator include the graphic novel series Shelley Frankenstein, the picture books Monkey Walk, A Christmas Too Big and The Kiddie Table. She illustrated the best-selling series What If Everybody Did That, Penguin/Random House’s The 12 Days, and Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You. She is currently working on new picture book titles and another graphic novel series.
And making wookie noises. 🙃
And making wookie noises. 🙃
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 13, 2023
Kerry's family goes hardcore overboard with Christmas in all capacities. It becomes too much for Kerry. With the traditions of her bilingual neighbor, Mrs. Flores, she finds out that having everything for Christmas isn't as meaningful as the little things.
Can Kerry still have Christmas and not go "too big"?
A visually Sensory overload regarding Kerry's family and all of the eye-popping illustrations of multiple Christmas traditions!
Wonderful bilingual and visual explanations about Mrs. Flores and her traditions and even a fun activity you can add to make your own Holiday your own!
Can Kerry still have Christmas and not go "too big"?
A visually Sensory overload regarding Kerry's family and all of the eye-popping illustrations of multiple Christmas traditions!
Wonderful bilingual and visual explanations about Mrs. Flores and her traditions and even a fun activity you can add to make your own Holiday your own!
November 7, 2021
*read for free with Kindle Unlimited *
November 20, 2021
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is A Christmas Too Big by Colleen Madden, a heartwarming look at what makes the holidays special.
The day after Thanksgiving, Kerry’s family goes into mega-Christmas-mode. Dad is obsessed with lights, Mom turns into a Christmas-song-jukebox, grandma becomes a cookie-baking tornado, and her little brother hides elves in every corner of the house. The whole neighborhood seems to be overtaken by this oversized, flashing, jingling, headache-inducing version of Christmas… except Mrs. Flores. After assisting her elder neighbor, Kerry is invited in for cocoa and learns about some of Mrs. Flores’s holiday traditions from Mexico The two make crafts, sing songs, and talk of faraway family. As a thank you, Kerry helps Mrs. Flores set up a tablet to video chat with her son’s family in Mexico. While walking home, Kerry decides that it’s fun to explore different kinds of Christmas, and brings home her lessons from Mrs. Flores to share with her own familia.
Wonderful. This sweet holiday story starts with humor and ends with heart, all the while incorporating lovely lessons in kindness, friendship, and cultural appreciation. The story is sure to note that, while Kerry’s family can be overwhelming, there’s nothing wrong with their enthusiasm for Christmas; it only suggests that there are lots of ways to celebrate, and all of them can be special. The Spanish/Spanglish dialogue is another treat, especially for bilingual readers; context clues keep monolingual English speakers from getting lost, and some moments – such as when Mrs. Flores and her son weep tears of joy upon seeing each other over video chat – are universal enough to not need translation. The artwork is perfect, visually reflecting the chaos of the initial scenes, the calm and exuberance of Mrs. Flores’s house, and the festive balance of the two in the final act; details are numerous and often hilarious. Backmatter includes instructions on making the flores de Navidad featured in the story and a very cool visual Spanish vocabulary page. The length is perfect for a storytime, and JJ and I loved it. This is a great read to start off the holiday season, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!
(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by a representative of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
December 22, 2021
See this review and more like it on Lazy Day Literature.
Kerry's family goes all out for Christmas every single year, starting the day after Thanksgiving. Her dad becomes a lights master, her mom becomes an all-time Christmas caroler, and her siblings join in as well, but Kerry thinks it's just too much so she heads outside for a walk where she runs into the only neighbor that doesn't seem to be having a Christmas too big.
Her neighbor, Mrs. Flores, is missing her family but shares her own traditions with Kerry and receives a truly special surprise in return.
This holiday tale will absolutely warm your heart!
This beautifully illustrated picture book is packed full of Kerry's family's Christmas traditions, beginning with plenty of festive activities and excessive decorating that will keep you busy looking at ALL THE THINGS. There's even a page where you can find all Kerry's brother's elves!
But as Kerry decides to step away from all the bustle, she learns how to have a different kind of Christmas with different traditions and share that joy with her own family.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a BILINGUAL book! Mrs. Flores speaks Spanish but Kerry translates for us throughout the second half of the book. There's a page near the end that includes lots of Spanish word labels and the end pages share tons more Christmas items in English at the front and then again in Spanish at the back!
This was such a sweet read with lots of fun and festive art to look at, a heartwarming story that is perfect for any time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and plenty of Christmas-themed Spanish words to learn!
Kerry's family goes all out for Christmas every single year, starting the day after Thanksgiving. Her dad becomes a lights master, her mom becomes an all-time Christmas caroler, and her siblings join in as well, but Kerry thinks it's just too much so she heads outside for a walk where she runs into the only neighbor that doesn't seem to be having a Christmas too big.
Her neighbor, Mrs. Flores, is missing her family but shares her own traditions with Kerry and receives a truly special surprise in return.
This holiday tale will absolutely warm your heart!
This beautifully illustrated picture book is packed full of Kerry's family's Christmas traditions, beginning with plenty of festive activities and excessive decorating that will keep you busy looking at ALL THE THINGS. There's even a page where you can find all Kerry's brother's elves!
But as Kerry decides to step away from all the bustle, she learns how to have a different kind of Christmas with different traditions and share that joy with her own family.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a BILINGUAL book! Mrs. Flores speaks Spanish but Kerry translates for us throughout the second half of the book. There's a page near the end that includes lots of Spanish word labels and the end pages share tons more Christmas items in English at the front and then again in Spanish at the back!
This was such a sweet read with lots of fun and festive art to look at, a heartwarming story that is perfect for any time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and plenty of Christmas-themed Spanish words to learn!
December 6, 2022
So much fun. I _am_ that mother. And I have kids and other dear-to-my-hearts who long for the quiet neighbor with whom they can breathe quietly around the margins of the holidays.
This is a delightful both-and sort of book.
Update: The one thing I would love, illustration-wise, would be for the illustrations in the "quiet" section to be less busy -- maybe limited to one or two per spread -- to draw out even more the contrast between the calm at the neighbor's place and the heightened holiday activity at home.
This is a delightful both-and sort of book.
Update: The one thing I would love, illustration-wise, would be for the illustrations in the "quiet" section to be less busy -- maybe limited to one or two per spread -- to draw out even more the contrast between the calm at the neighbor's place and the heightened holiday activity at home.
December 14, 2022
Kerry's family always celebrates the Christmas holiday big and crazy. Doing this and that to make their home all festive for the month. Everyone loves it but Kerry, she thinks it's become too much. Their house is all Christmas! Even her neighbors are doing the same, big decorations and lots of holly jollies. Only Mrs. Flores seems to be doing something different. Her Christmas is small and simple: colorful tissue flowers with soft singing and lighting one candle for her son's family in Mexico. Kerry thinks Mrs. Flores' idea of Christmas is something she can do and seeks to find a way to celebrate the holiday in her own way with her family.
A Christmas Too Big shows there's more than one way to celebrate Christmas. It may not be all festive, but it's still honors the winter season beautifully. Madden has created a Christmas book that is equal in both text and illustrations. Every word is in a Christmas color and the drawings are very vibrant and have many things that goes on in the background on some pages, kind of like a Where's Waldo vibe. At the same, readers will get to learn some Spanish in the process as two different types of Christmas cultures merge together. A sweet story on finding the meaning to celebrate a special holiday.
A Christmas Too Big shows there's more than one way to celebrate Christmas. It may not be all festive, but it's still honors the winter season beautifully. Madden has created a Christmas book that is equal in both text and illustrations. Every word is in a Christmas color and the drawings are very vibrant and have many things that goes on in the background on some pages, kind of like a Where's Waldo vibe. At the same, readers will get to learn some Spanish in the process as two different types of Christmas cultures merge together. A sweet story on finding the meaning to celebrate a special holiday.
November 17, 2021
The day after Thanksgiving has arrived and that means the Christmas season has begun, and Kerry's family is filled with the holiday spirit - maybe a little too much spirit as far as Kerry is concerned.
Now, there are lights to be strung everywhere, music plays throughout the house all the time, lots and lots holiday cookies are being made, and of course, the family watches all the Christmas specials on television that were ever made, and little brother hides elves all over the house. But when her family buys the biggest Christmas tree they can find, Kerry has had enough of over zealous Christmasing. So she puts on her coat and heads outside.
While everyone outside is also doing Christmas too big, Kerry helps her neighbor Mrs. Flores get her stuck shopping cart out of the deep snow and is invited in for un poco de cocao (a little cocoa). First thing Kerry notices is that Mrs. Flores does not do Christmas too big. Instead, she has a little table top Christmas tree, with a family picture by it. Mrs. Flores tells Kerry her family is in Mexico, so they light a candle for them.. Then, Mrs. Flores shows Kerry how to make beautiful tissue paper flowers with which to decorate the house.
Before going home, Kerry shows Mrs. Flores how to open the present she received from her family in Mexico - tablet so that they can see and talk to each other. It is, indeed, becoming a wonderful Christmas for Mrs. Flores and a different kind of Christmas for Kerry, who finally is feeling some holiday spirit.
"Maybe I could find a way to have my own kind of Christmas in my own crazy Christmas house." Kerry thinks when she gets home and begins to make her own tissue paper flowers. But when she's finished, will her family embrace this new tradition?
Told in the third person from Kerry's point of view, A Christmas Too Big is a sweet, heartwarming story that reminds us that Christmas isn't really just about decorations, songs, cookies, and movies, it's also about peace and goodwill. Sometimes those two things can get lost or buried in the all the excitement of the Christmas season. But, peace and goodwill are exactly what Kerry brings home after her visit with Mrs. Flores. When Kerry lights her own candle for Mrs. Flores and her family, her mom suggests they invite her over for Christmas dinner.
Madden uses plenty of humor mixed into this story, so it doesn't sound at all preachy, and most importantly, it isn't at all judgmental with regards to the way Kerry's family celebrates Christmas, instead it organically includes Kerry's contributions into their celebrations. Madden also includes lots of Spanish words into the story, all of which are easy to understand because she has seamlessly incorporated their meaning into the text and her colorful illustrations.
The digitally produced illustrations are boldly colored and full of details just as they should be and that young readers will love to explore. When you only live a few miles and one river away from Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, known far and wide for their elaborate holiday decorations, you can really appreciate the wonderful, true to life illustrations in A Christmas Too Big.
Be sure to check out the end papers where you will find a variety of traditional Christmas objects. The front end papers has the names of each item in English, and the back end papers has the name of the same objects in Spanish. And there are simple instructions for making Mrs. Flores' tissue paper flores de Navidad that you can use to decorate your own home. It would also be a great class project after reading the book together.
A Christmas Too Big is a wonderful, bilingual, intergeneration story to share with your young readers as a family read aloud and is sure to become a family favorite, read again and again. I can't wait to share it with my young readers next time we meet.
This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was gratefully received from Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media
Now, there are lights to be strung everywhere, music plays throughout the house all the time, lots and lots holiday cookies are being made, and of course, the family watches all the Christmas specials on television that were ever made, and little brother hides elves all over the house. But when her family buys the biggest Christmas tree they can find, Kerry has had enough of over zealous Christmasing. So she puts on her coat and heads outside.
While everyone outside is also doing Christmas too big, Kerry helps her neighbor Mrs. Flores get her stuck shopping cart out of the deep snow and is invited in for un poco de cocao (a little cocoa). First thing Kerry notices is that Mrs. Flores does not do Christmas too big. Instead, she has a little table top Christmas tree, with a family picture by it. Mrs. Flores tells Kerry her family is in Mexico, so they light a candle for them.. Then, Mrs. Flores shows Kerry how to make beautiful tissue paper flowers with which to decorate the house.
Before going home, Kerry shows Mrs. Flores how to open the present she received from her family in Mexico - tablet so that they can see and talk to each other. It is, indeed, becoming a wonderful Christmas for Mrs. Flores and a different kind of Christmas for Kerry, who finally is feeling some holiday spirit.
"Maybe I could find a way to have my own kind of Christmas in my own crazy Christmas house." Kerry thinks when she gets home and begins to make her own tissue paper flowers. But when she's finished, will her family embrace this new tradition?
Told in the third person from Kerry's point of view, A Christmas Too Big is a sweet, heartwarming story that reminds us that Christmas isn't really just about decorations, songs, cookies, and movies, it's also about peace and goodwill. Sometimes those two things can get lost or buried in the all the excitement of the Christmas season. But, peace and goodwill are exactly what Kerry brings home after her visit with Mrs. Flores. When Kerry lights her own candle for Mrs. Flores and her family, her mom suggests they invite her over for Christmas dinner.
Madden uses plenty of humor mixed into this story, so it doesn't sound at all preachy, and most importantly, it isn't at all judgmental with regards to the way Kerry's family celebrates Christmas, instead it organically includes Kerry's contributions into their celebrations. Madden also includes lots of Spanish words into the story, all of which are easy to understand because she has seamlessly incorporated their meaning into the text and her colorful illustrations.
The digitally produced illustrations are boldly colored and full of details just as they should be and that young readers will love to explore. When you only live a few miles and one river away from Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, known far and wide for their elaborate holiday decorations, you can really appreciate the wonderful, true to life illustrations in A Christmas Too Big.
Be sure to check out the end papers where you will find a variety of traditional Christmas objects. The front end papers has the names of each item in English, and the back end papers has the name of the same objects in Spanish. And there are simple instructions for making Mrs. Flores' tissue paper flores de Navidad that you can use to decorate your own home. It would also be a great class project after reading the book together.
A Christmas Too Big is a wonderful, bilingual, intergeneration story to share with your young readers as a family read aloud and is sure to become a family favorite, read again and again. I can't wait to share it with my young readers next time we meet.
This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was gratefully received from Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media
November 9, 2021
A Christmas Too Big by Colleen Madden is one of the most charming and engaging children’s Christmas books I have ever read. Colleen Madden’s illustrations bring her sweet story to life.
Are you Christmas crazy or do you get overwhelmed by too many decorations, too much Christmas music, too many Hallmark Christmas movies, too much baking, and on and on? Well, Kerry’s family is the former, and Kerry is the latter. It’s the same every year. It’s not that she doesn’t like Christmas; she just thinks it's too much! When she goes outside for a break, it’s still too much! Her neighbors have already decked out the outsides of their homes.
It’s not until she sees Mrs. Flores struggling to push her grocery cart through the snow, that she finds a quieter Christmas. Kerry helps Mrs. Flores and gets invited in for cocoa. With her mom’s permission, Kerry spends some time with Mrs. Flores and discovers that Christmas doesn’t have to be too much!
I adored this sweet story. There’s so much packed into this Christmas book. A Christmas Too Big is a bilingual book. The end papers have illustrations of Christmas items in both English and Spanish.Furthermore, kids discover that just because they’re not like everyone else in the family doesn’t mean they don’t fit in. It’s not that she doesn’t feel loved, Kerry just enjoys a quiet Christmas more than a crazy one. While visiting Mrs. Flores, Kerry learns a new tradition to add to the family’s Christmas celebration.
Your kids are going to love hearing this story and discovering something new in the illustrations every time they hear it. I highly recommend A Christmas Too Big for kids 4-99+! It's wonderful!
Are you Christmas crazy or do you get overwhelmed by too many decorations, too much Christmas music, too many Hallmark Christmas movies, too much baking, and on and on? Well, Kerry’s family is the former, and Kerry is the latter. It’s the same every year. It’s not that she doesn’t like Christmas; she just thinks it's too much! When she goes outside for a break, it’s still too much! Her neighbors have already decked out the outsides of their homes.
It’s not until she sees Mrs. Flores struggling to push her grocery cart through the snow, that she finds a quieter Christmas. Kerry helps Mrs. Flores and gets invited in for cocoa. With her mom’s permission, Kerry spends some time with Mrs. Flores and discovers that Christmas doesn’t have to be too much!
I adored this sweet story. There’s so much packed into this Christmas book. A Christmas Too Big is a bilingual book. The end papers have illustrations of Christmas items in both English and Spanish.Furthermore, kids discover that just because they’re not like everyone else in the family doesn’t mean they don’t fit in. It’s not that she doesn’t feel loved, Kerry just enjoys a quiet Christmas more than a crazy one. While visiting Mrs. Flores, Kerry learns a new tradition to add to the family’s Christmas celebration.
Your kids are going to love hearing this story and discovering something new in the illustrations every time they hear it. I highly recommend A Christmas Too Big for kids 4-99+! It's wonderful!
November 12, 2021
Kerry’s family is a little too hyped about Christmas. There is Christmas music on all the time, the kitchen is full of cookies, and they insist on watching every single Christmas movie. When they bring home a tree too big for the house, Kerry decides she has had enough.
While she is outside, Kerry spots their neighbor, Mrs. Flores. While helping Mrs. Flores with her groceries, Kerry notices her nice house and her simple decorations. Kerry enjoys the quiet conversation with Mrs. Flores while also learning something special about her culture.
This bilingual story shares the importance of looking out for our neighbors, the joy of celebrating the holidays, and how, maybe, sometimes a little goes a long way. Mrs. Flores shares the Spanish language with Kerry as well as a special craft to help decorate for the holidays, Flores de Navidad. The end of the book includes instructions on how to make your very own tissue paper flowers.
Once Kerry and Mrs. Flores are together, the story is told in both English and Spanish. When Mrs. Flores comes to Kerry’s house for Christmas dinner, the page is labeled with all kinds of Spanish words to go with the items on the page like gato, leche, ensalada, and estrella. The illustrations are fun and festive with various expressions on Kerry and her family members to show their true feelings about Christmas.
Kerry will remind kids that bigger isn’t necessarily better and no matter whether you have a simple or big Christmas, it’s important to share it with those we care about.
While she is outside, Kerry spots their neighbor, Mrs. Flores. While helping Mrs. Flores with her groceries, Kerry notices her nice house and her simple decorations. Kerry enjoys the quiet conversation with Mrs. Flores while also learning something special about her culture.
This bilingual story shares the importance of looking out for our neighbors, the joy of celebrating the holidays, and how, maybe, sometimes a little goes a long way. Mrs. Flores shares the Spanish language with Kerry as well as a special craft to help decorate for the holidays, Flores de Navidad. The end of the book includes instructions on how to make your very own tissue paper flowers.
Once Kerry and Mrs. Flores are together, the story is told in both English and Spanish. When Mrs. Flores comes to Kerry’s house for Christmas dinner, the page is labeled with all kinds of Spanish words to go with the items on the page like gato, leche, ensalada, and estrella. The illustrations are fun and festive with various expressions on Kerry and her family members to show their true feelings about Christmas.
Kerry will remind kids that bigger isn’t necessarily better and no matter whether you have a simple or big Christmas, it’s important to share it with those we care about.
December 22, 2023
This is just beautiful. And I don't mean just the illustrations. It's a lovely story about friendship and being there for people who are lonely around the holidays.
Kerry's family goes BIG for Christmas -- Christmas all the time starting the day after Thanksgiving, lots of noise and music and lights and a giant tree and other trappings of the holiday. One day, she goes outside to get away from it all and runs into her neighbor Mrs Flores, who invites her in for cocoa. Kerry notices that Mrs Flores only has a small table-top tree decorated with colorful paper flowers. Mrs Flores teachers Kerry how to make the paper flowers and she discovers that Mrs Flores will be alone for Christmas because her family is all in Mexico. Before she leaves to go home, she teaches Mrs Flores how to use her Christmas gift from her family (a tablet for facetiming). At home, Kerry teaches her family how to make the flowers & they adopt this new Christmas tradition and plan to invite Mrs Flores over for Christmas dinner.
The book also includes instructions for making your own paper flowers. So kids not only get a sweet, lively story, but also a craft project.
Kerry's family goes BIG for Christmas -- Christmas all the time starting the day after Thanksgiving, lots of noise and music and lights and a giant tree and other trappings of the holiday. One day, she goes outside to get away from it all and runs into her neighbor Mrs Flores, who invites her in for cocoa. Kerry notices that Mrs Flores only has a small table-top tree decorated with colorful paper flowers. Mrs Flores teachers Kerry how to make the paper flowers and she discovers that Mrs Flores will be alone for Christmas because her family is all in Mexico. Before she leaves to go home, she teaches Mrs Flores how to use her Christmas gift from her family (a tablet for facetiming). At home, Kerry teaches her family how to make the flowers & they adopt this new Christmas tradition and plan to invite Mrs Flores over for Christmas dinner.
The book also includes instructions for making your own paper flowers. So kids not only get a sweet, lively story, but also a craft project.
February 22, 2023
Charming. Good for Kindergarten and 1st grade home read. Picturebook. Could also work at storytime or a class read but there are lots of interesting details in the illustrations a group would miss (so pass it around afterward so they can enjoy!) as opposed to reading it at home.
A girl's family does Christmas prepping in a big way(from Thanksgiving to Xmas! Big tree, lots of decorations, music, tv specials, etc.), which is overwhelming for a little white girl. She has a Latinx neighbor and gets to see how she preps, in a smaller but still meaningful way. The family invites the neighbor over for Xmas.
Great for inclusion and to see some cultural differences regarding Christmas. Has Spanish words and dialogue. Includes instructions for how to make Flores de Navidad.
A girl's family does Christmas prepping in a big way(from Thanksgiving to Xmas! Big tree, lots of decorations, music, tv specials, etc.), which is overwhelming for a little white girl. She has a Latinx neighbor and gets to see how she preps, in a smaller but still meaningful way. The family invites the neighbor over for Xmas.
Great for inclusion and to see some cultural differences regarding Christmas. Has Spanish words and dialogue. Includes instructions for how to make Flores de Navidad.
November 22, 2021
Darling new Christmas story with lots of Christmas craziness and all the wild materialism that can sometimes come with the holiday season and all its trappings. It can be a bit much. Kerry steps out of it for a bit to help a Mexican neighbor, learning a bit about Mexican traditions and some of the real reasons for Christmas - family, love, and togetherness. The kids loved the Spanish words, translations, and captioned pictures, found tons to look at and investigate in the busy illustrations. Cute and sweet - not my pick for the best Christmas story read-aloud, but one kids love to look through on their own.
November 3, 2021
Kerry’s family goes Christmas berserk every year in this bilingual Christmas tale. When she gets overwhelmed she visits her neighbor Mrs. Flores who is having a very different, much quieter Christmas. Mrs. Flores shares the vibrant decorations from her country and they inspire Kerry to create her own. This Christmas picture book is a wonderful combination of carefully chosen Spanish and English text, the warmth inclusion of different traditions, and gorgeous inviting illustrations.
January 13, 2022
Kerry's family starts early to decorate and enjoy every minute of the Christmas season but Kerry finds it overwhelming and escapes to her neighbors house. Helping Mrs. Flores discover her family for Christmas in a quieter way makes Kerry want to be with hers yet add to the celebration in her own way. A good book showing the many ways to celebrate the holidays and be appreciative of the ones we love.
June 26, 2022
I thought I knew what the book would be like when I started it. I thought it would be about a child who didn’t want to celebrate Christmas right after Thanksgiving. But the book took a sweet and unexpected turn and made my heart feel warm when the girl befriended her Spanish-speaking neighbor.
This is an original story which will make a nice addition to the books I like to read aloud at holiday time.
This is an original story which will make a nice addition to the books I like to read aloud at holiday time.
March 7, 2025
It is easy to get caught up in the holiday spirit and to believe that bigger is better! But this sweet story reminds us that bigger can also be overwhelming and actually take away from the magic we are hoping to create. In this story, a young girl finds solace in a neighbor's simple, beautiful holiday celebrations and learns about traditions in a country different than her own. I love the celebration of a different culture and the inclusion of Spanish words. Great story!
November 17, 2021
Oh my!! As an adult I could so relate with Kerry, a child wanting a smaller Christmas in a family that celebrates in a BIG way!! She befriends her neighbor who is of a Spanish culture and gets to experience Christmas in a smaller way but finds out how amazing it can be! This book is beautiful and incorporates Spanish cultures and language.
December 29, 2021
Sometimes Christmas turns into a huge, busy, non-relaxing holiday. And it's worth the time to consider what peaceful activities could do for each of us. In this book, a young child visits a neighbor to see the holiday from a different perspective. Very sweet!
January 3, 2022
I thought this was a sweet story about a girl whose family goes all out for Christmas and she finds it overwhelming. So she goes to a neighbor's home, whose family is in another country.
It is a nice story.
It is a nice story.
June 7, 2021
While it takes aim at Christmas from a secular view, it hits hard an important point that sometimes the point of Christmas gets so lost in the grandiose of the season. I really liked this one.
January 3, 2022
A bilingual surprise! Really enjoyed this take on Christmas.
November 8, 2022
Cute story of a crazy family that goes berserk for Christmas except for Kerry who likes the Christmas of her neighbor, Mrs. Flores . . . small and quiet, yet BIG all the same.
December 22, 2022
A great holiday read for our little introverts with a touch of Latinx culture from a sweet (and quieter) neighbor. A subtle and important lesson in inclusion and thinking of others.
November 21, 2023
I liked the focus on connecting with people. We also loved the illustrations.
December 22, 2023
A very sweet Christmas story-loved it!
October 6, 2024
This book would have been much better without the stupid Spanish words in it. I'm fine with kids learning Spanish but show me other languages, please. I'm sick of Spanish everywhere.
November 21, 2022
A book that introduces the concept of other Christmas traditions within other families, along with some Spanish words and phrases.
December 29, 2021
A little girl struggling with her family’s over the top Christmas joy joins her Hispanic neighbor on Christmas Eve and learns her traditions. She takes what she’s learned and shared it with her family. Very cute story which my family and I really enjoyed.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews