Lisa Wheeler is one of my very favorite picture book authors! I'm delighted to review her latest publication, Where, Oh Where, Is Santa Claus?, a Christmas book about Santa gone missing! Written in Wheeler's trademark rhythm and rhyme, we watch as several different types of polar animals search for Santa through a soft snow fall. Wheeler's fun rhyme scheme, use of onomatopoeia (sound words), and the repetitive phrase "Where, oh where, is Santa Claus?" make this a perfect read-aloud for children. The full 2-page spread illustrations are beautifully done in wax crayon and watercolor. I've always liked the way Ivan Bates does fur! Put this one on your wish list for Christmas books. You'll be glad you did!
A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall By Jasmine Warga New York: Harper, 2024. Fiction. 211 pages. A painting has been stolen from the Penelope L. Brooks Museum and sixth-grader Rami Ahmed is worried he's the main suspect. His mother works at the museum as the lead custodian and Rami spends a lot of time hanging out at the museum while she works. On the day the painting went missing, the only people there were the security guard Ed, the cleaning crew, and Rami. Then, a mysterious girl appears in the museum. She floats around from room to room and only Rami can see her -- and she looks exactly like the girl from the missing painting. To prove his innocence and help figure out who the floating girl is, Rami partners up with an aspiring sleuth at school named Veda and the two dive into unexpected situations as they try to solve the mystery. This is a cozy mystery that is focused mostly on characters and ambiance and only a little on the mystery itself. Don't read this book if yo...
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