Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--The snow has come, and young Ty is terribly excited at the prospect of fun. In this installment of the "Ty's Travels" series, Ty dreams up the North Pole. His mom and dog are equally excited to visit, and as they take a winter walk, the trio has a delightful time sledding and meeting holiday denizens. Whenever Ty's imagination overlaps with reality, the background images convert into a child's crayon drawings. The dark-skinned boy and mother look happy to be together, and adorably plumped up in their winter gear. As a "My First I Can Read," the narration and dialogue is primarily limited to one-clause lines. The words give the right level of challenge for many beginners, with the illustrations providing some hints. VERDICT As Ty likes to say, "Everything is wonderful" in this cozy easy reader. A great addition to put out for winter book displays.--Rachel Forbes
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Ty and Momma explore a Christmassy winter wonderland. This installment of the Ty's Travels early-reader series focuses on the magic of the holiday season. Ty notices that his North Pole snow globe resembles the freshly fallen snow in his own neighborhood. He and Momma head out with pup Brownie past a snowpal, a group of singing polar bears, and dancing dolls and toy soldiers, all straight out of Ty's imagination. After sledding, Ty's big wish to meet Santa comes true. Lyons tells a simple story that leans on Mata's illustrations to bring it to life. Ty's expressive face conveys his initial disappointment at not seeing Santa and his eventual surprise and joy. Mata's crayonlike images, which look as though they were created by Ty himself, depict Ty's imaginings, while the illustrations of real life are more saturated, conveying movement and texture. There are big sprays of snow as the children sled gleefully as well as patterned scarves and the springy curls of Ty's hair. Though the storyline is a basic "day in the life," the illustrations will delight readers. Ty and his family are Black, Santa is brown-skinned, and the elves and children at Santa's workshop are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A cozy, snowy Christmastime read. (Early reader. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
