Monday, November 14, 2011

Book Review: Kevin's Christmas by Liesbet Slegers

By: Liesbet Slegers
Published by: Clavis Publishing
Released on: September 1st, 2011
Source: book from publisher to review
Purchase from: Amazon

It is Christmas time and Kevin is discovering all of his family’s holiday traditions. He wonders why Mom put a tree inside the house; she tells him that it’s a Christmas tree for decorating with shiny ornaments, little lights, and a golden star at the top. Then Kevin helps Mom prepare Christmas dinner for all of their relatives and is excited to exchange presents with everybody. Even though he loves the special food and is grateful for his presents, Kevin learns that his favorite part of Christmas is getting to spend time with the people he cares about. With simple language and bright illustrations, this festive story focuses on the joys and delights of experiencing a holiday through the eyes of a child. -quoted from Goodreads

I like the brightly illustrated pages, and the simple illustrations, but I'm a little torn on my feelings with this story. Normally we're huge fans of Christmas/holiday stories, but this one didn't quite win us over like I had hoped. I liked how Kevin introduces readers to his family's traditions, but I think if the story had been written a little bit simpler, it might have been a bit more engaging for kids. Not saying it's written bad, it's just not one that captured the attention of my kids.
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~