Title: The Tale of the Christmas Hero
Author: Carolyn Mitchell
Publisher: Westwood Books Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 978-1-64361-349-9
Pages: 36
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Reviewed by: Ella Vincent
Hollywood Book Reviews
The Tale of the Christmas Hero is a delightful holiday story for kids of all ages. Carolyn Mitchell’s book is a story that readers will enjoy.
The Tale of the Christmas Hero tells the story of Santa Claus’ reindeer at the North Pole who are chasing after a mouse on their lunch break during the holidays. While chasing the harried mouse with Santa’s sleigh-full of toys, the mouse comes up with a trick to stop the reindeer from following him. The reindeer get stuck in an ice bank and as a result are weighed down by the sleigh. Christmas is in danger of being cancelled if kids around the world can’t get their presents. However, the mouse has a change of heart and enlists a strong bear to help the reindeer and save Christmas.
The Tale of the Christmas Hero is a fun story, but also has messages hidden in the book as well. Santa’s reindeer being on their break too long is a lesson about being lazy when they should be working. The mouse is the perfect antagonist to the reindeer who doesn’t like being followed by the reindeer. His mischievous act of getting the reindeer stuck in the ice makes him a villain in the story for a while. However, the mouse having a change of heart and enlisting the bear to help the reindeer shows the importance of being kind. The heartwarming ending also shows how pivotal it is to be kind to others.
Mitchell’s writing is so fun and clever that readers will love the story. The book builds suspense by adding “and then” sentences to keep readers hooked and wanting to find out what will happen next and finish reading the book. The story’s catchy rhymes are sure to capture young readers’ attention. The fun and sly writing are accentuated by the excellent illustrations by Brenda Timms. Her illustrations of the reindeer, mouse, and Santa will make readers feel as if they are being transported to the North Pole.
The Tale of the Christmas Hero would be best for children ages 4-9. The book would also be ideal for a holiday gift for kids as well. The book could be added to children’s sections of libraries and would be a perfect storytime book that parents, teachers, and librarians can share with young readers around the holiday season. The Tale of the Christmas Hero is an entertaining and charming story that demonstrates the true holiday spirit.