Uncles and Antlers (Richard Jackson Books (Atheneum Hardcover))

Rating:
Summary: "I love this book!" says my 4 year old
Review: Both my son and I really enjoy this rhyming Christmas/numbers book in which Octavia, a young reindeer, describes her seven uncles (from Uncle Uno to Uncle Sven). My personal favorite is Uncle Duce, an Elvis impersonator, while my son seems to prefer Uncle Quint, a basketball star.

The rhythm and rhyme are perfect. Extra credit to the author for using the word "tines" in a book for youngsters ("Uncle Trey is short and wide. Antler tines? Three on each side!")...the vocabulary is just sophisticated enough to be slightly challenging to young readers.

Brian Floca (for Click magazine readers, he's the illustrator of "Beatrice Black Bear") draws with a loose, Quentin Blake style. OK, maybe that doesn't help much. Let's just say his reindeer have personality...these are not cookie cutter reindeer. Floca's illustrations live up to the creativity of Lisa Wheeler's words; it takes a special artist to draw an Elvis reindeer, complete with wig and white jumpsuit.

I'm kind of sorry I didn't discover this book until after the holiday season, but really, I think it's funny enough to keep us laughing all year `round.