Review by Booklist Review
This gentle Christmas Eve tale begins with a fresh blanket of snow and the soft jingle of bells, which chase away a small girl's thoughts of sleep. In her antlered onesie, Ollie peers through her bedroom window die-cut on the page to reveal a shining winter landscape dotted with silver foil flakes before running outside with her sled in tow. She hurries after the bells' sound, tobogganing downhill and into the dark woods, where she finds a bell-studded collar snagged on a tree. As she slips the collar from the branch, a reindeer steps out of the shadows (crunch, crunch, crunch) and offers Ollie an unforgettable ride through the night sky, in thanks for returning its sleigh bells. Killen works magic through simplicity in this understated holiday story. Sprinklings of onomatopoeia enliven the unfolding backyard adventure, as well-placed cutouts and red accents pop against the serene illustrations' white and charcoal hues. A perfect bedtime read; little ones will cozy up to this sweet book and drift off on their own reindeer-fueled flights of fancy.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Killen (Fluff and Billy) brings an understated style to a quietly magical tale of holiday miracles and nighttime adventure, originally published in the U.K. When a mysterious jingling awakens Ollie on Christmas Eve, she hops out of bed and zips down a snow-covered hill on her sled-"whooooooosh!"-until she reaches a dark wood. Ollie's head-to-toe reindeer pajamas (antlers included) and the toy reindeer she carries make her personal fascinations clear to readers while hinting at what lies in the forest. After the girl spots a reindeer collar dangling from a branch, she returns it to its rightful owner, and is treated to a midnight ride home, captured in a wordless spread of girl and reindeer ascending, triumphantly, into the night sky. Die cuts, foil accents, and bits of red detailing bring flair to Killen's hushed black-and-white snowscapes. Ages 4-8. Agent: Elizabeth Roy, Elizabeth Roy Literary. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A young girl dressed in reindeer onesie pajamas is awakened on Christmas Eve by the sound of ringing bells. She grabs her sled and her stuffed reindeer and follows the sound, only to discover one of Santa's reindeer in the woods behind her house. The reindeer whisks her off into the sky and returns her home. The next morning she wakes up to the gift of a reindeer snow globe to remind her of her new friend, whom she hopes to see the following year. The simple story line is accompanied by mostly black-and-white illustrations, accented with the color red as well as silver foil inlay. Some pages have cutouts that allow the illustrations to seamlessly flow together as readers turn the pages. VERDICT An elegant book that has a calming effect; a perfect holiday bedtime story.-Sara Rebman, Los Angeles Public Library © Copyright 2017. 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 Horn Book Review
When reindeer-obsessed Ollie (check out her room decor) is woken up by a jingle, jingle, jingle on Christmas Eve, she cant help but follow the sound to the woods. There she meets a friendly reindeer who takes to the sky and flies her home. The next morning Ollie finds a gift from a special someone by which to remember the reindeer. Killens inky illustrations in a muted palette of black, white, and red are sophisticated and warm, with well-placed die cuts that encourage page-turns. julia tyler (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Ollie meets one of Santa's reindeer. Ollie seems to be a big fan of reindeer, as she wears a furry reindeer costume to bed and sleeps with a stuffed reindeer toy. When she hears the sound of jingle bells late on Christmas Eve, Ollie goes outside alone with her sled to find the source. She finds a red collar with shiny, silver jingle bells and then meets a reindeer looking for the lost collar. Her new reindeer friend takes Ollie for a thrilling ride through the starry sky before delivering her home and rejoining the reindeer team for Christmas Eve deliveries. On Christmas morning Ollie finds her present from Santa, a snow globe with a tiny replica of her reindeer friend inside. Delightful illustrations in a muted palette of grays are enhanced with touches of deep red and shiny silver that stand out against the snow. Ollie's surprising ride on the reindeer's back is enchanting, shown in a wordless double-page spread with shiny jingle bells and a swath of silvery dots indicating the magical nature of reindeer flight. Subtle surprises include matching patterns on Ollie's bed quilt and the reindeer's saddle blanket as well as occasional, cleverly designed die-cut windows that offer a glimpse of the following page. Ollie and Santa are both white. One of those rare birds: an original and entertaining Christmas story with its own understated charm. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
