Jingle Jumble Santa by Happy Yak and Spencer Wilson

I took a peek at a mix and match book for Halloween and found it so cute that I wanted to take a look at the Christmas edition, too. This little board book is all about Santa and should allow readers/listeners to interchange his top and bottom at will. 

I'm curious to see what this Santa is up to and assume it will be as fun as the other book in this row.

So, let's see what Santa's got!

JINGLE JUMBLE SANTA

Mix and Match

by Happy Yak

Illustrated by Spencer Wilson

Board Book Holiday

24 pages

ages 0 to 3

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.

GOODREADS   /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Smiles and giggles are sure to accompany this silly book, where Santa can don all sorts of silly outfits.

This board book follows Santa as he spends his free time with all sorts of activities. From surfing to baking, this Santa stays busy...and keeps his elves on their toes, too. Each page is accompanied by a short, rhyming verse, which quickly explains what Santa is up to. Then, Santa is shown in bright, bold colors as he does these things. It cheerful, energetic, and fun.

The pages are cut in half, allowing for young listeners to flip either the top or bottom of Santa around at will to produce all sorts of combinations. Santa is well lined up, making each pairing fit nicely. As for the combinations...well, they can be all over the place. 

It's cute, simple and adds a bit of fun to the holiday season. 

One Night in Bethlehem by Jill Roman Lord

ONE NIGHT IN BETHLEHEM

A Touch-and-Feel Book

by Jill Roman Lord

Illustrated by Sally Garland

WorthyKids

Board Book   /   Religious   /  Holiday

20 pages

ages 1 to 4

One Night in Bethlehem draws on a child's imagination and his senses in this beautiful touch-and-feel board book. A young boy carefully considers what he might have done if he were present on the night of Jesus' birth. He sings with the angels in the sky, becomes a spotted cow at the nativity scene, and alongside the Wise Men, he offers his precious teddy bear as a gift. Colorful artwork and a variety of textures allow young children to see and feel the events of the first Christmas.

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

This is an easy book for young listeners to connect with as they visit Jesus' birth from the viewpoint of someone their age.

A young boy looks at the nativity scene and wonders what it would have been like to have been in Bethlehem himself. Imaging himself as everything from a little sheep to one of the three kings, the various aspects of the Christmas story are visited while not feeling repetitive. 

A calm atmosphere mixes with gentle imagination to set an inviting atmosphere. The young boy's thoughts are simple, natural, and will have listeners wondering themselves what they would have done in the same situations. It begins with the boy wondering what he would have done if he was a sheep...and warm cuddles come right away....and goes all the way to him as a shepherd and more. The text is short and, yet, adds cute, innocent twists the entire way through to make it a read to visit again and again.

The illustrations carry a playful touch with few harsh lines and invite in with details and easy-to-recognize scenes. The rhyming text flows right along with them to create a lovely read. And I can't forget to mention the slightly fuzzy sheep on the cover, which sets the tone for the rest of the read.

It's an adorable read, perfect for the days before Christmas.

And here they are...

Jill Roman Lord is an award-winning author and a nurse anesthetist. She won her first writing award in first grade and has written ever since. Her many children’s books include If Jesus Lived Inside My Heart, The Silent Noisy Night, and God Made You Just Right. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and enjoys running with her golden retriever, golfing with her husband and son, sipping coffee with her girls, and traveling.

Sally Garland grew up in the small Scottish town of Alness and studied Illustration at Edinburgh College Of Art. She’s had a passion for drawing and for children’s literature and illustration since she was a child. Sally works both digitally and traditionally, and recently, she’s been enjoying experimenting with simple block printing techniques, watercolor, and writing her own stories. She lives in Glasgow with her partner and young son.

Kid the Goat Won't Wear His Christmas Coat by Lana Stenner

It's time to shift gears back to some Christmas reads! Today's read caught my attention right away thanks to the...

Well, which one of you has had a kid goat under your Christmas tree? 

KID THE GOAT WON'T WEAR HIS CHRISTMAS COAT

by Lana Stenner

Illustrated by Anna Simone

Tommy Nelson

Picture Book  /  Holiday

20 pages

ages 2 to 5

This romping Christmas tale is a kid-approved reminder to wear your winter coat! Lana Stenner of the Grace-Filled Homestead (which is also filled with goats, chickens, and sheep) shares this hilarious story about a young goat who would rather stay in his pajamas than wear his coat at Christmastime.

Kid the Goat runs to the Christmas tree to open his presents and saves the biggest for last. What could be inside such a big box? After ripping off—and snacking on—the wrapping paper, Kid opens the box and finds . . . a winter coat. Clothes for Christmas? What a bu-u-ummer! When Kid refuses to wear his coat, Maa-a-a makes Kid stay inside while the rest of the family enjoys Christmas Day outside. How can Kid make ice skating, building snowmen, sledding, and caroling just as fun while inside the house by himself?

Filled with cute and cuddly artwork, this relatable and laugh-out-loud rhyming story

is for ages 0 to 4,shows kids the consequences of not dressing for the weather, and is a perfect gift for Christmas and Advent. Grab a copy for your coat-averse children today. They will Totes McGotes love this book!

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Animal fans will enjoy this meaningful twist on Christmas preparations in a lively family...of goats.

Christmas is just a day away, which means preparations are in full-swing. All the goats in the family help to clean and get things read, except Kid the Goat. Kid doesn't have any desire to help out. When Christmas comes, he opens his gift to find a warm coat inside, but refuses to put it on. Instead, he wants to wear his pajamas while caroling and playing in the snow. But this might not work out for Kid as hoped.

This is a cute read about a family of goats. They live in a normal house and are very energetic as they clean and put up decorations. The scenes will come across with familiarity while the goat characters and a smile-worthy spin. Kid's attitude hits a little off from the get go and will have many readers wondering what the goat is thinking. While there is, obviously, a message about listening and participating, it never comes across overly strong thanks to the fun read. Christmas joy and energy stays front and center with tons of winter goodness, too. There's also a wholesome ending which embraces the true, religious meaning of Christmas.

The rhymes and illustrations work well together to keep a Christmas atmosphere. The illustrations are bright and bold, bringing across the scenes with a natural flow and letting the important details come across clearly. Readers can flip through these on their own and get a good feel for the tale. The text is written in a fairly nice flowing rhyme with only a few stumbles when doing it as a read-aloud. It might not be for the most impatient listeners out there, but it works nicely for a fun tale to snuggle up with. It's also ideal for those readers, who have a very good grip on their words, to tackle on their own.

It's a fun and unique story to dive into the family spirit of Christmas.

The Case of the Pilfered Pearls by Margi Preus

Yesterday, I posted my thoughts on a fast-paced mystery for the young adult audience. So today, I'm going to shift down to the middle graders with this first book in a new mystery series...well, I think it will be a series. It's not really said.  Now, I'm not expecting this one to be high tension...at least, not like The Escape Game was. Instead, I'm getting more fun vibes with a little cute mixed in too. I'm hoping the mystery is well laid and that this little detective is one to love.

Let's open this one up and see if we can crack the case right along with this shrew. (And yay, a screw character!)

THE CASE OF THE PILFERED PEARLS

The Shrew Detective

by Margi Preus

Illustrated by Junyi Wu

Amulet Books

Middle Grade Mystery

128 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING MAY 19th!!!

Wind in the Willows meets Enola Holmes in this exciting, young middle grade mystery series from Newbery Honor–winning author Margi Preus and with art from Junyi Wu

Something that is difficult or impossible to understand.

With a curious mind and a vast vocabulary (thanks to her wallpaper—pages of a discarded human dictionary), tiny Minerva Shrew would love nothing more than to solve the Big Mysteries of Life and the Universe.

Instead, in The Case of the Pilfered Pearls, she’s called upon to help her cousin Tenacity solve a mystery in the most dangerous of a human house. When a string of pearls goes missing, the human owner is sure a “dreadful rodent” has pilfered them—and now the lives of all Minerva’s friends are at risk! Will Minerva find the true culprit before the exterminators arrive?

With wit and warmth, Margi Preus creates a charming woodland world filled with creatures both whimsical and nefarious ( wicked or criminal), along with suspense, intrigue, and, thanks to Minerva’s metabolism, plenty of snacks.

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

With an clever shrew and tons of meals each day, this mystery lures in while building reading skills along the way.

Minerva Shrew's home is wallpapered in dictionary pages, and she loves nothing more than deep mysteries...like the meaning of life and philosophical questions. When one of her friends insists she help out with a real crime mystery and thwart a potential murder, Minerva isn't thrilled to shift her brain gears down to a 'lower level' discovery but doesn't want anyone to die, either. She follows her friend to a dangerous, human house and a complex mystery. But the stakes are very high and the clock is already ticking. Minerva must discover the true identity of the thief before the exterminator arrives and kills all the little animals living in the house.

When I first saw the cover and tale length, I thought this might be a tale for strong chapter book readers and lower middle grade ones, and while it is, it stretches further than that. The tale is short and engaging, and every few pages, Minerva drops a difficult vocabulary word and the definition...and these are mostly not words readers would usually run across. Add that the author tends to sprinkle in more difficult terms anyway, and the vocabulary skills are getting a workout. But thanks to the shorter read, it also relaxes what could be frustrating in a longer novel. The printed text is kept relatively short for a usual middle grade read, and there are lovely illustrations, which often dropped in to enhance the tale. Plus, it's not about depth as much as it is about solving the case. So, it is a true middle grade read...and one that works very well to improve those word skills. I'm thinking homeschoolers and classrooms will want to peek into these pages, too.

As for the story, it holds a quick-paced mystery with vibrant characters and tons of quirks. Of course, Minerva, as a shrew, already gives this book a fun and original twist. Readers learn a little about shrews along the way, too (like they need to eat extremely often to stay alive). The other animals are just as interesting and add a little furry chaos and fun. The first pages give readers time to meet Minerva and learn about her usual life and interests, which then, makes the turn into the mystery that much more interesting. The mystery is well laid and holds several surprises. The ending isn't easy to solve and, of course, there are some messages about friendship, helping others, and reaching beyond the comfort zone as well.

I can only hope that this is the first in many tales to come.

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer

 I was, actually, planning on hitting another read today, but when I happened to get my hands on a DRC of Marissa Meyer's upcoming release, I shoved things around. But no worries, I am definitely going to get to the other one here before too long because I'm very excited about Behind the Willows by June Hur, too. Honestly, I love June Hur's books just as much as Marissa Meyer's. 

Oh, the struggles we booklovers have!

Anyway, today's read promises mystery and tension pure, and I'm ready to see what other goodies these pages might hold. So, let's take a peek!

THE ESCAPE GAME

by Marissa Meyer

G.P. Putman's Sons

YA Mystery Thriller

416 pages

COMING APRIL 6th!!!

An unforgettable YA murder mystery set in an escape-room themed game show, by Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, and Tamara Moss, rising star and acclaimed author of Lintang series.

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master, and . . . Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high in this competition, they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for.

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

Tension mixes with a high-stakes mystery and unique characters to form a grabbing mystery with tons of surprises.

Sierra should have been announced the winner of the forth season the The Escape Game, but instead, discovered her sister murdered in the last round. Everyone thinks she did it, but due to the lack of evidence, wasn't charged. Six months later, the next episode is being filmed, and Sierra manages to convince the producers to bring her back, this time as a team leader. To say that none of her partners in the game trust her is an understatement, but she's not there to win. She's there to learn what really happened to her sister.

This book draws in from the very first page and doesn't let go until the end. It shifts perspectives between various players, which lets several of their personalities shine and their quirks become clear. This helps build tension as each one faces their own personal challenges and has very different views on the game and Sierra. The author also uses this to carefully lay the clues and weave a tight web of intrigue. There are many grey areas, which make it hard to see what's really going on and what the true motives are and were.

While the main plot centers around the earlier murder, there are several subplots running along as well. This keeps everything moving and the thoughts twisting this way and that. While there isn't quite as much character depth in some areas as I'd like, this doesn't bother thanks to the nicely laid action and secrets. Plus, the escape rooms are interesting in their own right as the characters have to solve difficult puzzles again and again.

I can only hope a second book is going to come soon, since I'm curious to see where this could go next.