Happy Holidays! (American Girl)

by Lauren Diaz Morgan, Romina Galotta (Illustrator)

This Little Golden Book stars Molly, Josefina, Nanea, Felicity, and other favorite American Girl characters as they celebrate the holidays!

Traditions may change over the years, but one thing never everyone loves celebrating the holiday season! Felicity™, Molly™, Nanea™, Rebecca™, Josefina™, and other American Girl historical characters show off some of the ways families have enjoyed the holidays over the decades—from the food to the songs to the parties, presents, and more! There are many ways to celebrate Christmas and the season in this Little Golden Book featuring full-color illustrations and a diverse group of spirited characters from a variety of historical settings. This Little Golden Book is the perfect holiday gift for girls and boys ages 2 to 5, and collectors of all ages!

Introduced in 1986, American Girl's flagship line of historical characters features 18-inch dolls, books, and accessories that give girls a dramatic understanding of the role women and girls played in shaping our country.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, History

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"As the weather turns colder and the days grow shorter, there are lots of holiday celebrations to look forward to!"

This Little Golden Book showcases ten of the historical American Girl characters (Felicity, Kaya, Maryellen, Kirsten, Rebecca, Molly, Addy, Josefina, Nanea, and Julie) and how they celebrate the winter months based on their era and culture.

Now, I've only read Kirsten, Molly, and Addy out of the girls above but I really liked seeing their holiday traditions showcased in this story.

The art in this Golden Book doesn't match the other four published so far, but I still liked it. The expressions aren't quite as vibrant but the gentle color palette definitely gives a cozy, wintry feel.

I liked the wispy-ness of the drawings and I appreciated how the artist managed to draw some of the more iconic moments from the original books.

All in all, this was a lovely wintry book for the American Girl picture book series!

More Reviews of American Girl Children's Books

Step Into Reading
Freedom for Addy - ★★★☆☆
Molly's Christmas Surprise - ★★★☆☆
Samantha Helps a Friend - ★★★☆☆

Little Golden Books
Grandmas are the Best! - ★★★★☆
Happy Birthday! - ★★★★☆
Happy Holidays! - ★★★★★
Making a Difference - ★★★☆☆
Time for School! - ★★★★☆

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very shallow look at Christmas celebrations in the USA over the centuries. There's a passing nod to Hanukkah and an a Native American holiday. It's interesting and a starting point for more in-depth discussions.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to Julianna tonight. She gives it 5 stars. She liked it because she liked all the holidays and all the ways people celebrate them. I thought it was a great book as it was a topic that is educational and interesting.

[🐦‍⬛ · Rating 3 out of 5]

pleasantly surprised at the ivy inclusion!!!

[Danielle T · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 but I'm going to round down. H is still very young for the American Girl franchise, so I put this in their stocking to introduce characters. The only eras explicitly named are on the cover and the last page (leaving Felicity, Kaya, Addy, and MaryEllen as mysteries lol), but presumably if you're buying AG merch, you're probably a fan and know the historical girlies.

Unexpectedly, this produced another piece of evidence for me that Ivy Ling should've been the main character instead of the best friend for the 1970s. We see Julie in her hippie outfit stringing a popcorn garland on the cover, but like her actual books the text inside is about Julie and Ivy celebrating Chinese New Year.

> "Julie celebrated Chinese New Year in San Francisco with her best friend, Ivy. They gathered with family to eat Chinese dishes like longlife noodles and bird's-nest soup for good luck. After the delicious meal, Julie and Ivy watched the dragon parade in Chinatown!"

Someone unfamiliar with the books would probably safely assume that Julie refers to the Chinese American girl celebrating her holiday with her family instead of the white girl bringing her amiably divorced family to their celebration. So, I do like it as another thing for me to cite (especially since those chapters are gone from the current version of Julie's abridged books) but frustrated to look for myself in the margina.

Maryellen and Molly's are just about wintertime activities and not holidays, even (ice skating with grandparents and playing in the snow respectively).

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Little Golden Book introduces how American Girl characters celebrated winter holidays based on their time period and cultural traditions. The book is simplistic but charming, with great illustrations and a focus on a family togetherness. The characters are from varied historical periods, cultures, and eras of the American Girl brand, but I wish that the book had more clearly specified which time period each girl was from.

[Jessica Arend · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5