Holly jolly Kitty-Corn A picture book

Gr 1--4--Readers join best friends Kitty and Unicorn as they prepare for the holiday. As usual, their desire to create magic for their friend leads to miscommunication and hurt feelings. The pair acknowledges "'tis the season to feel stress-y," a resonant sentiment for many parents, but also sets the stage to discuss handling expectations over sometimes disappointing reality. Hale excels at navigating stories of emotional intelligence in a way that feels warm and kind. When the Kitty-Corn friends reach the end of their rope, there's no huge blow-up with the release of the truth. Instead, the characters are gentle not only with each other, but with themselves. VERDICT A poignant reminder of how to handle the discomfort of friends having different interests, complete with eventual acceptance and a carol to wrap it up.

What's the merriest time for a kitty-corn? Christmastime! Kitty is thrilled to share the holiday season with her new bestie, Unicorn. Previous books saw Kitty longing to be a unicorn and Unicorn wishing he could be a cat; together, these "kitty-corns," as they dub themselves, are determined to have the best Christmas ever. Unicorn's favorite part of the season is the music, but his tunes put Kitty to sleep. Kitty adores making gingerbread houses, but Unicorn's messy creation ends up knocking over Kitty's gingerbread village. Determined to agree on something, they decide that a tree is actually the best part of Christmas. Though Kitty prefers a smaller tree, she assumes Unicorn wants a huge one. The two attempt to decorate their unwieldy tree, with predictably messy results. Both friends are disheartened, but eventually they realize that they have plenty in common after all as they nestle together for more carols and cocoa. This latest saga relies on the ingredients that made the earlier installments pure magic: BFFs who support each other despite conflict, commentary from pals Gecko and Parakeet (who serve as a sort of Greek chorus), and kitty-corn sweetness. In Pham's airy illustrations, big-eyed pink Kitty sports a unicorn's horn, while Unicorn wears kitty cat ears. An original Christmas carol, with music, rounds out the package. Compromise and collaboration are the keys to holiday joy in this inviting outing.(Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.