Publisher's Weekly Review
On a snowy Christmas Eve, best friends Pip and Posy bring home their tree and, dressed in cozy Christmas sweaters, make cookies to hang on it. But as Posy steps away to bring the candy canes and chocolate bells, the edible ornaments keep going missing. Readers will see what Posy doesn't: Pip sneaking the treats off the tree-and into his mouth. Posy learns the truth when she finds Pip feeling sick on the couch, and he offers an earnest apology: "I'm sorry, Posy... I ate all the decorations." Avoiding further potential tummy aches, the two decorate the bare tree with paper ornaments, instead. In Scheffler's recognizable gouache illustrations, the big-eyed rabbit and mouse demonstrate how forgiveness is a cornerstone of true friendship. Ages 2-5. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
In their latest outing, Pip and Posy bring home a Christmas tree and decorate it with candy canes, chocolate bells, and homemade cookies. When the decorations begin to disappear, at first one by one and then COMPLETELY (but not mysteriously; from the humorous and brightly colored gouache illustrations, its clear that Pip has eaten them all), the friends replace them with paper decorations, cutting out paper chains, stars, and hearts. And the tree looked beautiful. Pips inability to resist temptation is relatable, and Posy is an admirably nonjudgmental friendthough one of her Christmas presents to Pip is a toothbrush. Thats just what I need, said Pip. Hooray! A sweet and funny addition to Schefflers winning preschool series. martha v. Parravano (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The sweet, round-eyed bunny-and-mouse duo are back for a new adventure in this familiar series for the very young (The New Friend, 2017, etc.).Cheery, horizontal, red-and-white stripes on the endpapers hint at the Christmas theme within. The plot is simple. Pip and Posy pick out a tree to decorate for Christmas. After putting it up at home, they hang candy canes, chocolate bells, and homemade cookies. When Posy's back is turned, Pip starts to play tricks on Posy, eating the ornaments one by one. When they have all disappeared, Posy is distraughtand Pip heads to the couch to lie down. Although Posy eventually cottons on to him, she doesn't reveal that she knows what he's done until Pip apologizes. Together they find a solution to keep Pip from succumbing to his sweet tooth, and all is well. Visual and behavioral cues peg Pip as male and Posy as female. Pip is the taller, rascally one wearing pants while the shorter, calmer Posy wears a skirt and takes the role as caregiver, with an almost adult demeanor. Very appealing illustrations are in gouache; clean, clear images on lots of white space and large type make this an equally nice fit for reading out loud and beginning readers.Repetition and counting offer satisfying predictability that will keep young readers turning the sturdy pages. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
