If Animals Celebrated Christmas

If Animals Kissed Good Night

by Ann Whitford Paul, David Walker (Illustrations)

Don't miss the other books in this adorable If Animals Kissed Good Night, If Animals Said I Love You , If Animals Went to School, and If Animals Gave Thanks !

What if animals did what YOU do? This charming story describes how animals might celebrate the holidays!

If animals celebrated Christmas...how would they do it? Tortoise would hiss a holiday wish, Crane would croon joyful carols, and Mama and Papa Buffalo would kiss beneath the mistletoe. Across the animal kingdom, every creature would deck the halls for this magical season.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Holiday, Pre K

24 pages, Board Book

Published September 10, 2019

About the author

ANN WHITFORD PAUL, author of 'TWAS THE LATE NIGHT OF CHRISTMAS has always been crazy for Christmas, but overwhelmed by it, too. Afterwards she is worn-out and dreams that someone like Mrs. Saint Nick could help her out with the resulting chaos and mess.

Ann graduated from the University of Wisconsin and Columbia University School of Social Work. She became inspired to write picture books after years of bedtime reading to her four children. She's published 19 different award-winning books. Now she gets story ideas from her three grandchildren. For ten years she taught picture book writing through UCLA Extension. She still enjoys teaching how to write picture books. When she isn't writing or teaching, she loves listening to her cat purr, watching spiders spin their webs and following snails' trails.

You can learn more about her, download writing tips and classroom activities, and contact her through her web-site: www.annwhitfordpaul.net

Reviews

[Baby Bookworm]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! We’re finishing up our slightly belated Christmas reviews today with the sweet board book version of If Animals Celebrated Christmas, written by Ann Whitford Paul and illustrated by David Walker.

This holiday-themed addition to the author-illustrator pair’s popular series begins with the Koala family, with the youngest of the bunch counting down the days until Christmas comes. More animal families from around the globe are introduced, each with their own special way of celebrating the season: the cranes go caroling, mother hedgehog knits a silly sweater for her little hoglet, the buffalo give nosey kisses under a sprig of mistletoe. The action periodically swings back to the young Koala helping to bake a leafy eucalyptus cake and drape their tree with strands of berries and grapes. At last, everyone is ready for the big night, and the arrival of Santa… Polar Bear Santa that is (naturally)!

Very cute. Each installment of the If Animals series is a sweet treat, and this holiday-centric one is no exception. The cuddly, cartoony animals are lovable, especially decked in winter attire and participating in popular (human) Christmas traditions. The rhyme scheme of the text can be a little unexpected at times, but never so much that it loses the innocent, inoffensive and gentle charm of the tone. JJ enjoyed this one, especially learning a few new or less familiar animal names, such as Oryx or Tortoise (though it’s a bit of a bummer that a fascinating creature like the narwhal was depicted but not named). Overall, this is enjoyable holiday fun, and worth a read. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Stay]

This would definitely be a fantastic storytime Christmas read.
The story was cute and the illustrations were absolutely adorable. They were colorful and bright. A beautiful addition to our newly expanding holiday collection.

[Barbara]

As was the case with the two other titles in this picture book series, the author imagines how various animals might behave if they celebrated Christmas. The story is told in rhyming text, which features adorable creatures such as a koala, a tortoise, penguins, and an oryx, among others. Some young readers will enjoy imagining what it might be like for those animals and then seeing how they decorate or fashion their trees. There's even a scene showing two adult buffalo sharing a steamy kiss under the mistletoe held by a helpful bird. Although the idea is likely to fascinate little ones, I wasn't as enchanted as they might be since the practical side of me had too many questions about all these activities. Still, the colorful images will hold youngsters' attention and might prompt them to think of some other animal possibilities for this human holiday.

I just read the board book version, and it is easy for little hands to hold.

[Ro Menendez]

This book takes readers through animal homes during the Christmas season and describes what each would be doing to celebrate. Although purely fiction with animals being anthropomorphized, there are attributes that are true to the animal, for example "Hedgehog would purr and knit-knit with her quills", this animal purrs when it is content and has quills on its body. These are attributes that readers might recognize on their own or that can be pointed out by an adult companion-reader. This could also be used as a fact finding research adventure or a two-truths-and-a-lie type of game.

[Teresa Reads]

Children and adults will be drawn to this book because of the darling illustrations. The book showcases many cute animals and describes what they would do if they celebrated Christmas: writing letters to Santa, making secret wishes, and more. The story is very simple, but the very young will enjoy it.

[Lexee Toste]

Absolutely loved this one and so did my 18 month old niece! She wanted it read again and again. Truly enjoyed it and great for the season!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*]

If Animals Celebrated Christmas by Ann Whitford Paul, illustrated by David Walker. PICTURE BOOK. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018. $17. 9780374309015

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

In this rhyming text, the narrator imagines what animals might do when Christmas comes close. A koala would cheer, a tortoise would make a holiday wish, and a penguin would write a letter to Santa. The book continues in this pattern through eleven different animals, revisiting the koala family every few pages.

I really wanted this book to make connections to real-world animal behaviors and what that might look like in the context of Christmas. Instead, the book is all just playful and random holiday traditions performed by different animals. The illustrations are bright and will appeal primarily to very young readers.


Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Laura]

I'm going to say it: What is with the koalas? There's a different random animal on each page -- even an oryx for goshsakes -- but we keep coming back to the koala family. Why? It's not "If Koalas and a Couple Other Animals Celebrated Christmas." There's not even a pattern to it; there's three other animals and then koalas again, then two other animals and koalas, then three other animals again but three pages of koalas. There's rhymes but no reason. It offends my sense of balance. Representation matters.

I had to get that off my chest.

When the damb koalas aren't making me crazy, it's a darling little book. My 3YO loves it. If I stapled some of the koala pages shut I would really enjoy readying it.

[Erin Buhr]

This is another in an adorable series of "If Animal" books. The rhyming text and warm illustrations are a perfect soothing combination for a goodnight story. This one is Christmas themed with the animals doing things like hedgehogs knitting sweaters with their quills and crabs making seashell trees in the sand. Babies and toddlers who love animals will want to read this Christmas story again and again.

[Jody Kyburz]

You know...I get it...cute Christmas rhyming book...

But sometimes rhymes seem forced or contrived...like, "What rhymes with Buffalo? I know! Mistletoe!"

Papa and Mama Buffalo do not, in real life, grunt Christmas greetings (the rut is long over) and they don't kiss beneath mistletoe (not in Yellowstone). I understand you weren't going for nonfiction, but even young children can sense something that's a little too far fetched.

CUTE BOOK!

[Lisa]

There are a lot of Christmas traditions, like writing Santa letters wearing jingle bells, decorating the tree and making gifts. What if Animals celebrated Christmas? What might that look like?

David Walker has made the dearest illustrations of all sorts of animals (but mostly Koalas) in their habitats celebrating the holidays. The rhyming text makes for a fun read aloud.

[Anna]

Very cute book on if animals celebrated Christmas how they would celebrate it. Adorable illustrations! I read it as a board book and as a regular picture book and I prefer the picture book because the text is bigger and the book is overall bigger than the board book. I also liked how the story rhymed.

[Anna]

Very cute book on if animals celebrated Christmas how they would celebrate it. Adorable illustrations! I read it as a board book and as a regular picture book and I prefer the picture book because the text is bigger and the book is overall bigger than the board book. I also liked how the story rhymed.

[A Allen]

This one certainly isn't going to become a holiday classic. Although the pictures of animals knitting or baking or bundled up in their cold-weather gear are adorable, there isn't much to this book at all. There is no plot nor a story nor a lesson to learn. It leaves much to be desired.

[Mama Bearian]

If you enjoyed “If Animals Kissed Goodnight,” then you will probably like this one too. It has cute animal illustrations and rhyming text (although some of the rhymes do feel forced) with a Christmas theme.

[Emily]

I am just so disapointed every time I read one of these books because "If animals kissed goodnight" is literally so good how did they drop the ball this hard with literally every other book in this series

[Jennifer]

If you've read any of the other books in this series (If Animals Kissed Goodnight...), then you know exactly what to expect from this book. It's cute and usable in story time - definitely focused on a loving, non-religious, Christmas.

[Christine]

Another Christmas book that just seems to exist for the sake of it. Each animal's Christmas page didn't feel particularly unique to that animal & I don't see why the Koala family got such a focus over the rest.

[Kelly]

I enjoyed this Christmas themed story and the illustrations were really nice. I didn't like the tempo of the rhymes.

[Kris]

Rhymes were a bit off. Cute illustrations will draw kids in. Teachers might use as a writing prompt for "If... then..." lesson.

[Molly Cluff (Library!)]

Very cute, and would work great for a preschool storytime. I like the kid friendly illustrations. (all the animals are prepping for Christmas in their own way)

[Miss Kelly]

Nice picturebook aout animals celebrating the holidays. Easy reading with nice little rhymes that do not fill forced.

[Brittany]

An adorable Christmas story. A must read to your child.

[Kimberly]

Cute pictures but the rhyme scheme crashes and burns.

[Jillian]

Unfortunately, just sort of forgettable. Nothing about actual animal behavior, just "this is how you'd celebrate Christmas, but with animals instead of humans."

[Trisha Carter]

Cute illustrations

[Goshen PL Childrens]

Read at Storytime on December 4th
Theme: Sights and Sounds of Christmas

[Miss Sarah]

A cute Christmas book about how animals would celebrate Christmas if they could. Preschool and up. Koalas were my favorite.

[Kaylynn Johnsen]

Cute animals, told in rhyme.

[Angela De Groot]

Rhyming Christmas spirit from Koala to crabs and many animals in between, caroling, decorating, and cuddling, while they wait for Santa to arrive. Secular celebration.