Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad

Little Critter

by Mercer Mayer

Mercer Mayer's Little Critter is getting ready for Christmas in this classic, funny, and heartwarming book. Whether he's making wreaths, eating gingerbread cookies, or putting the star on the top of the tree, both parents and children alike will relate to this beloved story. A perfect way to celebrate the holiday season!

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, Fiction, Family, Juvenile

24 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1982

About the author

Mercer Mayer is an American children's author and illustrator. He has published over 300 books, using a wide range of illustrative styles. Mayer is best known for his Little Critter and Little Monster series of books.

Reviews

[Sandysbookaday (on indefinite hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my boys when they were little. Both are now in their 40s. Now my three and a half year old grandson is loving it!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: I wanted to make Christmas very special, just for you, so I made a Christmas wreath. I wanted to decorate some Christmas cookies just for you, but I couldn't stop tasting them. I wanted to find a Christmas present just for you, but there were too many toys to look at.

Premise/plot: Little Critter tries really hard to make Christmas really, truly special for his Mom and Dad. But, as you'd expect, things don't always go according to plan. Is it the thought that counts?!

My thoughts: I love and adore Little Critter. I loved this one cover to cover. My favorite: "I wanted to wrap the baby's present just for you, but the tape was too sticky." It is a fact, by the way, that I was banned from using tape!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little Critter and Christmas: What's not to love? With his charming wit and deep-seated understanding of kids, Mercer Mayer takes us through Christmas beside his most famous character, and it's great fun. As the holiday fast approaches, Little Critter wants to do everything he can to be a help to his parents and prove his noble intentions to Santa Claus, but Advent doesn't make temptation any less alluring. Little Critter wants to buy a nice present for his parents, but how can he concentrate on the selection of gifts that might interest them when the toy aisle is crammed with delights to draw his attention away? He'd like to whip up a batch of Christmas cookies for his mother, but ends up eating as many as he makes. He wants to assist in wrapping gifts and decorating the house, but those jobs are still a little too complicated for him. It's hard for a kid to contribute tangibly to preparing for Christmas.

But on Christmas Eve night, Little Critter knows Santa Claus will come through for him. He wasn't perfect leading up to December 25, but he tried his best to be a good Critter, and his heart was in the right place. He loves his parents and he loves Santa, and that's enough to make this Christmas a fine holiday all will delight in, no matter how early in the morning Little Critter awakens his mom and dad to start in on the bonanza stowed beneath their tree by St. Nicholas. It's a merry Christmas for everyone in the Critter family.

Mercer Mayer was always a good artist, but his talents sparkle particularly in Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad. The full-page nighttime scene with Santa Claus and his reindeer flying overhead as Little Critter sleeps cozily tucked in bed upstairs is a lovely panorama, worth pausing over for a minute or two in appreciation of its simple, serene beauty. This is Mercer Mayer at or near his best as an illustrator, and it's wonderful. I give Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad two and a half stars, and fondly recommend it for anyone excited over the coming of Christmas and all that it means. I love this book.

[Gina House · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly and adorable! This is perhaps the 50th time I've read this book, but the first time that I read it to myself. 'Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad' was a favorite Christmas book for my kids when they were growing up. We all loved Little Critter and how earnest he was in his intentions to do a good thing and help his parents. It made us laugh when he acted in an especially clumsy or messy way. I love how "human" this character is—it's a good lesson (for all of us) that mistakes are not the end of the world and they can easily be fixed without a fuss.

This sweet story made me feel very nostalgic! (I miss my kids being small—now they are 31 and 21 years old!)

[Kati · Rating 5 out of 5]

I added this one to our 25 books of Christmas tradition this year because I remember it from when I was a kid. It holds up.

The pages aren’t numbered, but 6 pages from the end, the two-page illustration (with no text) is my favorite illustration of any children’s book.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute premise! I enjoyed the illustrations and high jinks!

[Allie xo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new Miley fav

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this book with my older daughter when she was tiny. Everything Little Critter does in an attempt to help just makes a bigger mess (which is so completely typical of kids at Christmastime). Love it.

[Rolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to find the Little Critter books pretty so-so, but I liked how this one recognized childhood effort at gifts, etc. as a form of love.

Also I got a really strong sense memory of reading this with my parents while reading it with my kids, which was really nice.

[Teea · Rating 5 out of 5]

i had this memorized when i was three years old and my mom has a tape of me reciting it to her. (back in the olden days 1982) it's now my kid's favorite.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 3-year-old keeps asking me to read this book. It's a cute book, but I wonder if it is because he wreaks the same kind of havoc the little monster does. Hmmmm .....

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Little Critter wants to help with the holiday preparations, but sometimes his "help" manages to create more work. A very cute, and sweet Christmas story.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3* art
3* story

[Irish Blue Eyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Critter endeavors to engage in numerous helpful activities for Christmas: crafting a wreath, adorning cookies, wrapping presents, selecting a tree, transporting ornaments, and untangling lights. Each of these efforts leads to a degree of disorder, yet Critter provides a "logical" rationale for the chaos. He composes a letter to Santa, becomes overly enthusiastic to rest, and subsequently awakens his parents early on Christmas morning to reveal his toys, extending them a Merry Christmas wish. The central theme underscores that despite the mishaps, the intention and affection behind the actions hold the greatest significance. It encapsulates the frequently chaotic reality of young children attempting to assist with holiday preparations, a shared experience for many parents. The humor arises from the progressively increasing messes, while the emotional core stems from Critter's sincere wish to delight his parents, rendering it a heartwarming and treasured narrative. The illustrations highlight the disorder, juxtaposed with the straightforward, loving message, solidifying it as a timeless Little Critter holiday classic.

[Kaeti Vandorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved Mercer Mayer’s little critter books and was so happy to find a Christmas story in the collection! In this story, Critter tells us about all the things he’s trying to do for his parents around Christmas … critter makes a wreath, helps with baking, picks out THE BEST Christmas tree, and helps to decorate … he even puts himself to bed early on Christmas Eve, leaving a special note to Santa about how good he’s been. Lucky for him, Santa isn’t the only one paying attention, and Critter is rewarded with the Christmas magic of a job well done.

We used to have “Just Me and My Dad” in our family library, and it was a huge bedtime favorite because it was so silly. This one is also a classic! I think the best part about the Little Critter series is the language used to write these books … Little Critter narrates the books in an active voice, never revealing his name, but inviting the readers to take a role in the story with him. This story does a good job reminding us how difficult it is as a young child to “be good” when you are excited for Christmas.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did I go all my life not knowing this existed? It's everything I grew up loving about the other Little Critter book, Just for You -- but with Christmas. My little guy wants it on repeat.

"I wanted to wrap the baby's present just for you, but the tape was too sticky." Priceless.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copyright 1982. This is a Little Critter book.

Little Critter is getting ready for Christmas. Unfortunately, his "help" is more of a hindrance for Mom & Dad. Little sister is just a baby in this one.
This was a favorite at bedtime during the Christmas season. Loved the humor.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Little Critter- tries to help with Christmas preparations, but isn't quite capable. I love in these books that you can read the expressions on the parents faces- good for understanding moods and then asking why to infer meaning.

[Melinda Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enter into the little world of a child who wants to make this Christmas very special for his parents. Unfortunately, things keep going wrong. Fortunately, the parents understand his sincere desires! Mercer Mayer writes and illustrates her excellent little books.

[Adrienne B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of the Little Critter books and think they are a perfect choice for anytime gifts for kids. This Christmas book is fun and my daughter age 7 was able to read it herself and laughed out loud while reading it.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not the christmas book I was looking for, Move along, Move along. The art was great, and the search for the Spider and Grasshopper was my favorite part of this book but for me it was just missing something about the spirit of Christmas. but for the other stuff this was still a good read.

[Jenna Montgomery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Child tries to help in his own way to prepare for holidays with haphazard and humorous outcomes. Especially like him bringing Christmas gifts up to parents room rather than waking them up to come down. 🤣

[Catarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Critter is a menace and sometimes I think he’s written that way for a reason and I cannot figure out the reason. This was generally him just trying and failing to be Christmas ready for his parents. I was a little sad after reading this.

[Mel H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved Mercer Mayer books since I was a kid. I love how through yet simple the stories were but most of all I loved finding the spider and cricket on every page as a kid. The whole collection is so much fun to read with my girls and I love gifting the series to friends.

[Kristen Dutkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Critter tries to be helpful at Christmas time but things can be a little tricky!

[Alisia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Day 21 Book Advent Calendar 2018

[Janeen Kime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book about a little guy trying to get his parents a Christmas gift but he keeps having problems. Very cute!

[Danielle Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love

[Scout Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute childhood story💚

[TJ & AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A year-round favorite with the usual Little Critter humor.