All the Colors of Christmas

Turner presents a vivid holiday palette by listing various colors featured at Christmastime and spotlighting favorite traditions and images associated with each hue. “Christmas is RED./ It’s a shiny new sled,” “Christmas is GREEN./ It’s an evergreen scene,” and “Christmas is GOLD./ It’s bright ribbon unrolled.” An inclusively portrayed, cozily clad crew of cheerful children bustle through bucolic scenes, decorating a house, ice skating, attending a holiday festival, performing in a Nativity play, giving gifts, and more. Finally, Turner reminds readers that, whatever one’s “own unique hue,” “Christmas is YOU!/... It’s your heartfelt compassion/ and your hope put in action./ It’s your thrill for the little things.” Though some references (“It’s an Elvis song,” “It’s God within/ a baby’s skin”) seem aimed at parents rather than readers within the stated age range, lilting text teamed with Gamble’s folk art–style paintings will keep younger readers engaged. Ages 3–7. [em](Sept.) [/em]