Review Detail

What worked: I loved this Christmas picture book! Beautifully illustrated portrayal of a young Black girl and her family's annual Christmas traditions. The illustrations do a great job of showing the family, including the love the young girl has for her grandmother.

There's so much to love about this book! As a former first-grade teacher, this book would have been perfect for sharing with my students. I love the diversity and how the family is shown in a loving light.

My all-time favorite part of this picture book has to be when Carla sees a Black Santa ornament on the family Christmas tree. Her words I'm sure will resonate with many children:

...It's Santa, with his big bag of toys. He looks just like me...

I especially love showing Carla and her grandmother cooking cornbread. This brought back warm memories I had of my own grandmother. Carla's grandmother's suggestion for a different treat for Santa is a perfect ending to a magical holiday tale. At the back of the book is the recipe for the cornbread. I might just try making some!

Rich depiction of a Black family's Christmas traditions that is sure to be a new holiday favorite! I totally recommend this gorgeous book for elementary school libraries!