Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A bright and shiny new Christmas book.It isn't easy to create a Yuletide tale that stands out on the crowded holiday shelf, but Wilson has done just that by riffing on lyrics from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Her illustrations are detailed and expressive, like a mashup of Marla Frazee and Vera Brosgol, with a dash of Barbara McClintock for good measure. They show the titular fog rolling in as a brown-skinned parent and a light-skinned child, who narrates, walk home, where another parent, tan-skinned, awaits. The child has made a gift for Nana and Papa, with whom the family always spends Christmas Eve. This year, however, "The weather is awful, and my parents say we can't go." The child's red hat evokes Little Red Riding Hood; the family dog, Sammy, is akin to a friendly wolf. Their combined depictions foreshadow a trek to Nana and Papa's house. With a flashlight on her head, Sammy heads out to "light the way," followed by the child, who sees monstrous visions in the fog and runs home in fear. Later, the whole family heads out, covered in Christmas lights, and fantastic, luminescent reindeer appear. Though the grandparents' gift is lost en route, the youngster has a story to tell upon the family's arrival-the best gift of all. Loaded with adventure and brimming with love and joy, this is a holiday tale to be savored.Read it out loud with glee. (Picture book. 2-7)

Kirkus Reviews

A bright and shiny new Christmas book.It isn't easy to create a Yuletide tale that stands out on the crowded holiday shelf, but Wilson has done just that by riffing on lyrics from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Her illustrations are detailed and expressive, like a mashup of Marla Frazee and Vera Brosgol, with a dash of Barbara McClintock for good measure. They show the titular fog rolling in as a brown-skinned parent and a light-skinned child, who narrates, walk home, where another parent, tan-skinned, awaits. The child has made a gift for Nana and Papa, with whom the family always spends Christmas Eve. This year, however, "The weather is awful, and my parents say we can't go." The child's red hat evokes Little Red Riding Hood; the family dog, Sammy, is akin to a friendly wolf. Their combined depictions foreshadow a trek to Nana and Papa's house. With a flashlight on her head, Sammy heads out to "light the way," followed by the child, who sees monstrous visions in the fog and runs home in fear. Later, the whole family heads out, covered in Christmas lights, and fantastic, luminescent reindeer appear. Though the grandparents' gift is lost en route, the youngster has a story to tell upon the family's arrival-the best gift of all. Loaded with adventure and brimming with love and joy, this is a holiday tale to be savored.Read it out loud with glee. (Picture book. 2-7)

School Library Journal (Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

PreS-Gr 2 —The pea-soup fog rolling in presents quite the Christmas quandary for a little girl and her family. How will they make it to the grandparents' house to celebrate? The bespectacled girl hatches a plan to light the way through the fog. First, she secures a flashlight atop the head of the family dog (a nod to the Grinch's Max, perhaps?), but they quickly become separated and return home to regroup. Then, her parents join in on the quest; they wrap themselves in twinkling lights to find their way. Again, the girl goes astray, but luckily some fantastical Christmas creatures guide her back to her family, and together they make it to Nana and Papa's house. The star of this book is undoubtedly Wilson's artwork—namely the dramatic visual depth created by the battle between her swirling cool tones and the amber interior hues. VERDICT A solid buy for holiday collections, but the Christmas vibes are subtle enough that this wondrous story also has year-round appeal.—Sarah Simpson