Jingle Bells
Illustrated by Jill Howarth
Running Kids Press  9/22/2015
978-0-7624-5824-4
8 pages 6 ½ “ X 8”    Ages 3—5

.
“Get ready to Jingle All the Way!

“Sing along to the merriest classic Christmas song as everyone dashes through the snow to get to a tree-lighting ceremony! Be sure to jingle the bells to make the song come to life!” [INSIDE JACKET]

Review
A young girl, wearing red like Little Red Riding Hood, steers a decorated horse up and over hills to a tree-lighting ceremony. Her bunny, also dressed in red, is with her. Somewhere along the way, a young boy, a penguin, and a polar bear decked out in green, hitch a ride on the sleigh. As they travel, everyone sings Jingle Bells. By the time the tree-lighting ceremony takes place, there is a crowd of interesting winter characters singing and enjoy each other’s company.
Jingle Bells, now in the public domain, finds itself sung in a short board book sure to put even the youngest reader into a Christmas spirit and prepare them for the holidays. The first verse and refrain serves as the title’s only text. Given that most children know at least this much of Jingle Bells, “reading” the book should be easy, giving them much needed literary confidence that could become the foundation for a lifetime of reading.
The brightly colored characters are decked out in colorful winter gear, ready for the cold and snow in and around the tree enhances the evening’s jollity. Jingle Bells, the board book, takes a turn towards novelty books with the addition of three medium-sized bells. As kids read or sing along they can jingle the bells of the book. With die-cut holes cut through each sturdy, extra-thick page, the bells can be seen even with the cover closed. These bells will attract young children to Jingle Bells and keep them singing along with the characters all night long. No, aspirin for the adults is not included, though a large dose of holiday cheer can be found with the turn of each page. Rated A+ for fun.

JINGLE BELLS. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Jill Howarth. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Running Kids Press, Philadelphia, PA.

Amazon—Indie Books—Running Kids Press

Add Jingle Bells to Your Goodreads Shelf HERE.

.
Reprinted with permission from JINGLE BELLS © 2015 by Running Kids Press, an imprint of Running Kids Book Publishers. Illustrations © 2015 by Jill Howarth.

.
Copyright © 2016 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

.
Jingle Bells
Illustrated by Jill Howarth
Running Kids Press 9/22/2015
9780762458244