Kirkus Starred Review!

Marvelously enchanting.

Along-held holiday tradition centered on the written word.

As winter settles across a beautiful land, people prepare for the tradition of gifting books on Christmas Eve. They pore over bulletins and bookstore shelves to plan the perfect choices for family and friends. Scenes of holiday cheer and tight-knit community abound as the day approaches. Then, people stream into the bookshop to make their long-awaited purchases. A young brown-skinned child even makes a last-minute discovery, having found the perfect book “to bring loved ones joy.” Everyone heads home for a celebration among festive decorations, sparkling lights, sumptuous food, and many loving hugs. After, they all settle in for “the best part of all”—cozy snuggles by the hearth with hot chocolate and hours of reading their new treasures. Kilgore depicts the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið, or “Christmas Book Flood,” in loving, magical terms (more historical information is provided in an author’s note). The art adds old-world charm while leading the narrative through blue-tinted winter nights and warm, homey interiors. Moss’ lovely, heavily saturated colors seem to evoke old Currier and Ives prints with their detail to scenic landscapes, while collaged images of newsprintlike pages add texture and fun. These captivating illustrations depict a family of four (one parent and two children are brown-skinned; one parent is light-skinned) as the story’s focus among a racially diverse country town. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Direct link to review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/emily-kilgore/the-christmas-book-flood/