One Christmas in Our Building: A Very Merry Mystery

The nativity story becomes the unlikely touchpoint for this unusual story about a dinner gone awry. On Christmas Eve, a child narrator eagerly anticipates the upcoming festivities, including a turkey dinner, but when the oversize bird won’t fit in the fridge, it must be left in the building’s cool hallway. The following morning, when the pale-skinned family discover that their fowl has disappeared, they go floor to floor to ask the neighbors. Their outing to the store likewise leaves them empty-handed, but the situation soon has them laughing (“You’re like Mary and Joseph, being turned away from every inn!” the child says). Returning home, the biblical parallels continue when neighbors—including the Singh family (“shepherds”), “Two Kings” wearing crowns, and Mrs. Angel—arrive bearing gifts, transforming the night into one of generosity and fellowship, while a final scene hints at the mystery’s culprit. Building residents are portrayed with various skin tones in Stegmaier’s drawings, which bring a casual warmth to the book’s domestic interiors. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)