Review by Booklist Review
Grace, star of Amazing Grace (1980) and its many sequels, is looking forward to Christmas but not to the visitors a girl and her mother, both of whom Grace has never met, and as far as she's concerned, there's no room at the inn. But the girls bond over fathers who are far away, and soon the holiday becomes more special than most. The conclusion is inevitable, but the exploration of the mixed feelings that can occur around the holidays seems real. The sometimes stiff poses of the characters are leavened by the engaging expressions on their faces, starting with a smiling Grace on the cover.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Starring in her fourth picture book, Grace learns that her Nana has invited distant family friends to spend Christmas with them. Grace isn't sure about having strangers there, but she and shy Savannah discover that they have something in common: Grace misses her father, who lives in Africa, as much as Savannah misses being in Trinidad for Christmas. Hoffman's empathetic storytelling and Van Wright and Hu's naturalistic illustrations make the most of Grace's abundant humor and personality. It's a contemporary holiday story with no shortage of heart. Ages 3-5. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-The irrepressible heroine of Amazing Grace (1991), Boundless Grace (1995), and Princess Grace (2008, all Dial) loves acting out the Nativity story. Often she plays all the parts herself, but sometimes Ma and Nana help out. This year, however, they are going to have visitors for the holidays. Grace isn't happy about giving up her room, and Savannah, who is Grace's age, doesn't seem friendly. But the girls find common ground-they both miss their fathers and are crazy about Savannah's Aunt Rosalie, a ballet dancer who shows up to share the festivities. Now there are plenty of actors for the Christmas play, a proper ballerina dancing a solo, and the best celebration ever. All of the action and drama is effectively conveyed in the expressive watercolor artwork. Grace's fans will enjoy this holiday-themed outing and wish they could share Christmas with her, too.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Many faith traditions and cultures advocate welcoming the stranger to the table of fellowship, and Grace learns this lesson firsthand when her family hosts a mother-daughter pair for Christmas.Grace is a vibrant, naturally appealing girl who has previously starred in several picture books and a chapter book about different aspects of her life with Ma, Nana and her cat, Paw-Paw (Princess Grace, 2008, etc.). She loves acting and dress-up, and in this tale she acts out the Nativity story, pressing her family members into service in multiple roles. Grace is resentful when Anita and her daughter Savannah are invited to stay for Christmas, but the two girls quickly become friends through shared creative play and their mutual experience of being separated from their fathers at Christmas. Savannah's aunt, a professional ballet dancer, joins the group for Christmas dinner and participates in another re-enactment of the Nativity story, followed by an impromptu ballet performance. Softly shaded watercolor illustrations capture the emotions and facial expressions of the characters and provide intriguing patterns and textures in clothing details and decorations. In a few places, the illustrations do not match specific descriptions in the text, which sharp-eyed young readers are sure to notice.Grace learns some subtle lessons about sharing and being open to unexpected gifts, adding an additional layer of meaning to her name.(Picture book. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
