Mistletoe

September 1, 2020
A friendship story for under the tree. "Finally it feels like Christmas," Mistletoe the mouse thinks to herself as she walks through the snow to her friend Norwell the elephant's house. But Norwell doesn't like the cold and won't come outside to join her. Instead, Mistletoe visits him inside his cozy house for tea before heading home. Eager to encourage her friend to experience the peaceful beauty of a wintertime snowfall, Mistletoe devises a plan to help him be more comfortable outside. That plan involves lots of yarn and lots of knitting. In fact, Hills devotes several spreads to the process of knitting and buying more colorful yarn before Mistletoe finally completes her friend's gift on Christmas Eve. When she awakens on Christmas morning, Mistletoe finds that Santa has visited, but instead of opening her gifts, she hurries out the door with her enormous present tied up with a bow to deliver to Norwell. He, too, has made something for her: a painting he based on seeing her enjoying the snowfall. But readers' favorite picture will likely be the one that reveals Norwell all dressed up in the enormous, colorful knitted bodysuit that Mistletoe made for him. Though his outfit is striped, not checkered, some readers may liken Norwell's appearance to David McKee's Elmer the Patchwork Elephant; all readers will be delighted to finally see him outside with his friend. Warming through and through. (Picture book. 3-6)

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September 1, 2020
Preschool-G One snowy day, a mouse named Mistletoe asks her elephant friend, Norwell, to come outside with her. Too cold for this elephant, he says to himself, inviting her into his house, where she sips tea and sits before the fire. Unable to persuade Norwell to leave his cozy home, Mistletoe soon leaves to enjoy the wintry weather. Later, she has a splendid idea. Gathering all her yarn, she begins to knit feverishly. Buying more yarn, she knits it into an enormous pile. On Christmas Eve, she bundles it onto a sled and delivers it to Norwell. Surprise! A warm snowsuit, just his size. The text defines the characters and their story in simple language, while the illustrations add warmth and charm. Affectionate and amusing in equal measure, the last picture shows both characters walking through snow together, petite Mistletoe in her red coat, hat, and boots smiling at Norwell, clad from head to toe in a colorfully striped, hand-knit onesie with a red pom-pom on top. A lovable picture book for the Christmas season.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

September 21, 2020
Hills introduces a memorable pair of characters who bring humor and thoughtfulness to their sweet celebration of Christmas. Like many great duos, Mistletoe the mouse and best friend Norwell the elephant are a study in contrasts. Mistletoe loves long walks in the snow, while cozy homebody Norwell thinks it’s “too cold for this elephant.” Convinced that Norwell should join her in appreciating the winter weather, especially now that Christmas is coming, Mistletoe jumps into action. Her fingers fly as she gathers her substantial yarn stash and knits during every spare minute—“while she makes cookies for Santa./ She even knits in the bath (which isn’t easy).” On Christmas morning, she surprises Norwell with a thoughtful gift that’s sure to keep him toasty outdoors. A final image of Norwell walking alongside Mistletoe in the great white expanse, sporting a spectacular hand-knit rainbow onesie, is not soon forgotten. Ages 3–7.

October 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-Children who like to share experiences with friends will find a kindred mouse in Mistletoe. She loves walking out in the snow and wishes that her friend Norwell the elephant would join her, but he doesn't like the cold. So Mistletoe decides to surprise him with a gift for Christmas that will keep him warm. It's not easy, but Mistletoe manages to knit Norwell a wonderful, warm, and colorful surprise. The story has a nice message of creating gifts rather than buying them and giving from the heart. The art is lovely; beautiful icy snow scenes are interspersed with warm, cozy images. The gentle humor helps move the story along. A good story to use to talk about giving and receiving gifts, the Christmas theme may limit its use to early winter. VERDICT A pleasant, nonessential volume with a lesson about giving from the heart.-Debbie Tanner, S D Spady Montessori Elem., FL

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