Presents Through the Window, A Taro Gomi Christmas Book
Written and Illustrated by Taro Gomi
Chronicle Books 9/20/2016
978-1-4521-5138-0
36 pages Ages 3—8
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“It’s a Very Merry Taro Gomi Christmas
“This may not be your ordinary Santa, but it’s the same Christmas Eve challenge: So many presents to deliver, and so little time! How will Santa do it? He’ll just peek into each window and toss in a gift. Done! The trouble is that Santa is moving too quickly to see who really lives in each house!” [INSIDE JACKET]
Review
Merry Christmas! Here comes a Christmas book for all of you Taro Gomi fans out there. Just in time for Christmas, Gomi offers up an Asian Santa who is in quite a hurry. It’s Christmas Eve and Santa has gazillions of presents to deliver. Passing on Rudolph and his pals for a holiday helicopter, Santa hurries to deliver his gifts. But Santa made a big goof. He left his naughty-and-nice list sitting in the sleigh. Not knowing who should get what gift, he sneaks a peek into every bedroom window. Once he knows who is sleeping there he tosses in an appropriate gift. Bah, this is Santa’s second goof—he looks too quickly and then tosses in a gift. Not taking time to decide which gift to give, Santa causes a mess not even Rudolph and crew can untwist.
Presents Through the Window, originally published in Japan, in 1983 (Mado Karo Okurimono by KAISEI-SHA Publishing) has stood the test of time. Tari Gomi’s die-cut windows lets Santa sees a portion of the home’s occupant, fast asleep in bed. But what Santa thinks he is seeing, is not always correct. In one house, Santa sees a little kitty fast asleep. Aw, what a cute kitty. Santa tosses in a pretty pink bow he knows this kitty will love.
Young children will laugh at Santa’s mistake. The little kitty is a stuffed animal laying on the belly of a sleeping pig. Let’s hope the pig likes little pink bows. How could Santa mistake a big piggy for a little kitty? Not because of Gomi’s art, which is as interesting and charming as it always has been. The big man is simply making his decisions too quickly. If there is a lesson in this holiday story, it is don’t make hasty decisions.
Presents Through the Window will be especially loved by Asian children, who not only get a wild assortment of animals, but an Asian Santa to deliver their gifts. The one child, a young boy, is also Asian. Unlike Santa, don’t make a rash decision about Presents Through the Window. All children will love the story, the animals, Santa’s mixed-up presents, and Gomi’s fun images, loaded with details—if only Santa took the time to look. Add in the charming twist—full of Christmas magic—and Gomi’s holiday book becomes a much-loved addition to holiday bookshelves everywhere. Also by Taro Gomi: Over the Ocean, TouchThinkLearn, Hide and Seek, and Wiggle!
PRESENTS THROUGH THE WINDOW, A TARO GOMI CHRISTMAS BOOK. Text and illustrations copyright © 1983 by Taro Gomi. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2016 by Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA.
Amazon
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Reprinted with permission from PRESENTS THROUGH THE WINDOW, A TARO GOMI CHRISTMAS BOOK © 1983 by Taro Gomi, © 2016 by Chronicle Books. Illustrations © 1983 by Taro Gomi.
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Copyright © 2016 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved
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Presents Through the Window, a Taro Gomi Christmas Book
Written and Illustrated by Taro Gomi
Chronicle Books 9/20/2016
9781452151380
Kids Lit Review 