Happy all-idays!

"The time has come/ to send holiday cheer/ to family and friends/ far and near." In this seasonal board book with a snail-mail locus, an image of a mail carrier gives way to depictions of varied celebrations, portrayed on each verso page via a group scene and each recto in a holiday card--like image. Throughout, geometric figures portrayed with varying abilities, body types, family structures, and skin tones celebrate. A child and two caretakers deck the halls by the fire ("We wish you a merry Christmas/ and much holiday cheer"), another child and two adults observe the Festival of Lights ("We wish you a Happy Chanukah/ on each of the eight nights"), and an intergenerational group celebrates Kwanzaa ("May faith, love, and unity/ bring rich blessings to you"). Alongside Jin's buoyant rhyming lines, Sayegh's wintry illustrations center a community of loved ones surrounded by bottomless comfort and boundless joy. Ages 1--5. (Sept.)

"The time has come to send holiday cheer / to family and friends far and near." Outside an apartment building whose windows showcase holiday decorations (including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa), a woman is mailing something. On each subsequent spread of this informative and cheerful board book, left-hand pages show families celebrating their traditions (some religious, some secular, and even a nod to the interfaith "Chrismukkah") while right-hand pages display their holiday greeting cards. Sayegh's inclusive illustrations feature one child in a wheelchair and others from same-sex, opposite-sex, interracial, intergenerational, and single-parent families, all gathered outside as a community on the last spread. Happy all-idays, indeed! Cynthia K. Ritter November/December 2022 p.16(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A look at the many ways people observe the holiday season. This rhyming board book serves as a brief introduction to different celebrations. Each two-page layout features a family with items and symbols, such as a menorah or a Christmas tree, as well as a holiday card. Many different types of families are shown getting into the spirit: a single parent and child and a multiracial family, among others. The book includes not only Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, but also "Chrismukkah" (a celebration of both Christmas and Hanukkah). Notably, one spread depicts a family with no holiday symbols; instead, the text wishes readers a cheerful, nonreligious "Season's Greetings / and Happy New Year!" The illustrations are simple and colorful. Nearly everyone is portrayed with a smile or an open-mouthed grin. Though the art may lack overall sophistication, its inclusive depiction of people gets high marks--in keeping with the book's spirit of representation, characters range in age, size, ability, and skin tone. While it can be difficult to draw out nuance in a story for toddlers, this book does a lot to underscore the point that family and celebration don't have singular definitions. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A thoughtful and inclusive overview of seasonal celebrations. (Board book. 2-4) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.