The Holms' beloved, daydreaming heroine returns in this fifteenth adventure. It would be a crime not to open with "Not a creature was stirring, not even a . . . Babymouse," and the Holms are happy to oblige in the first of Babymouse's many Christmas-inspired reveries. Over in the real world, her life revolves around a sweet-talking mall Santa, crashing a friend's Hanukkah celebration, and doing everything else mousely possible to make sure she gets the flashy new must-have doodad, called a Whiz Bang. A lesson in holiday spirit is learned, and fun, as always, will be had by all.

Babymouse feels she simply cannot live without the Whiz Bang, this Christmas's must-have gift. This graphic novel's single-minded focus reflects Babymouse's all-consuming obsession, a condition with which readers are likely to be familiar. Her holiday-classic-inspired, pink-hued daydreams allow Babymouse to switch off the mania for a while. The sentimental lesson is obvious, but it's one that fits the season and bears repeating.

Gr 1-4 Babymouse decorates her locker for Christmas, imagines herself in scenarios ranging from "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" (in which a mouse is indeed stirring) to "A Christmas Carol" (in which Babymouse meets the scary Ghost of Mean Girls Past), and obsesses over getting a Whiz Bang, a mobile device that does everything but straighten whiskers. Somehow, she makes it to Christmas in one piece, when she discovers that unexpected presents can be the best ones. Both fans and readers new to the series will linger to read Babymouse's pink-saturated Yuletide adventures cover to cover. Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library