Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Searching... Mount Angel Public Library | E HOL JOOSSE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Dallas Public Library | + CHRISTMAS Joosse | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... McMinnville Public Library | Christmas Picture Book Joosse | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
A traditional, heart-warming family Christmas celebration in the tradition of Cynthia Rylant's The Relatives Came.Every Christmas, Granny's house is brim full of family and festive cheer - carols and presents and plenty of food, bows and gift wrap for Fat Cat to play with, and lots of company for Granny and her dog, Edgar.This Christmas, snow starts to fall and it doesn't stop. Instead of going home, the whole family hunkers down for a cozy night in Granny's warm house. Whhhhh went the wind, but everyone was snug. Shhhhhh went the snow, but everyone was together. Even during a blizzard, there's no place better than Granny's house for Christmas .
Author Notes
Barbara Joosse has written more than twenty books for children, incluing the ever popular Mama, Do You Love Me? , illustrated by Barbara Lavallee. Ms. Joosse lives in Cedarburg, Wisconsin with her family. Betsy Lewin is the illustrator of the recent Caldecott Honor Book, Click, Clack, Moo , by Doreen Cronin, and Dumpy La Rue , by Elizabeth Winthrop. She has illustrated of over fifty books for children, many of which she also wrote. Ms. Lewin and her husband, artist Ted Lewin, live in Brooklyn, New York.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Every year Granny decorates, prepares her candied-yam casserole, wraps packages, and waits for the whole family to arrive for Christmas. Soon the house is full of family and festivities, while "Whhhhh went the wind. Shhhhh went the snow.-Tick tick tick went the grandfather clock." Snowed in, everyone-grown-ups, kids, and animals-camps out with blankets on the living-room floor. The clutter, chaos, affection, and fun of these once-a-year activities burst into life in Lewin's funny and tender pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations. Written with economy and an ear for large-family dynamics, A Houseful of Christmas makes a perfect, cozy read-aloud for one-on-one or group sharing.-S. P. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
It's the more the merrier when a boisterous clan makes its annual descent on Granny's house in Joosse's (Mama, Do You Love Me?) animated and knowing story. Decorations, gifts, carols and, of course, dinner with candied-yam casserole are all part of the "Christmas fuss," vivaciously relayed in rhythmic language. And when "whhhh-ing" wind and "shhhhh-ing" snow make travel hazardous, Granny happily hosts a snug family sleep-over. Lewin's (Click, Clack, Moo) sweet and humorous pen-and-watercolor artwork rises to the cheerful occasion. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
All the relatives, from noisy cousins to a great-aunt who smells like wild cherry cough drops, get stranded at GrannyÆs house during a Christmas blizzard. There isn't much narrative tension, but LewinÆs comical drawings complement the text, which conveys the warmth and festive chaos of the family celebration and eventual camp-out on the floor that night. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A blizzard makes it impossible for anyone to leave, turning an evening of caroling, food, and presents into a sleepover at Granny's house for the whole family. Granny spends weeks baking, decorating, and wrapping in preparation for the arrival of her large family. Her dog Edgar eagerly awaits the patting hands of the lively group while Fat Cat can be found scowling under a chair or behind a sofa. When they all finally arrive, they troop in to sit down for a huge dinner and an evening of Christmas fun. At some point during the evening, the soft fall of snowflakes becomes a blowing storm making it impossible to go home. Some blankets and a few pillows make wonderful nests for the family as they find room on the living-room floor. An inventory of the various family members finds each making the best of things, even Fat Cat, who finds a warm tummy to curl up on. "Whhhhh went the wind . . . Shhhhh went the snow . . . Tick tick tick went the grandfather clock but everyone was fast asleep." Lewin's (Dumpy La Rue, p. 510, etc.) charming line and watercolor illustrations of the holiday season fill these pages with bustling detail, adding a whimsical touch to the tale of one family's Christmas. A wonderful addition to a seasonal collection. (Picture book. 2-5)
Booklist Review
Ages 4-7. Each year the family gathers at Grandma's house for Christmas. Grandma bakes and wraps and decorates; Edgar the dog loves the fuss; Fat Cat doesn't. So begins this homey but humorous tale that shows Grandma getting busier in each spread, while Fat Cat gets sulkier. The family arrives, a happy jumble of people; and when it's too snowy to drive home, Grandma invites them all to a giant sleepover on the living room floor. Fat Cat's mood finally improves when he finds a comfortable chest to lie down on. Hectic, yet warm--that's the Christmastime of the text--but it's Lewin's artwork, watercolor washes outlined in thick black ink, that really captures all the frenetic fun. Also nice is the spread washed in winter blue that shows the family nestled against pillows, bundled in blankets looking as though they are settled under snowdrifts. So many books try to convey the spirit of the holiday; this one succeeds by stressing one word: family. Ilene Cooper