The Christmas Quiet Book

The team that celebrated various kinds of quiet in The Quiet Book revisits that theme with a holiday twist. Underwood again exhibits a flair for selecting evocative scenarios and moods: “Hoping for a snow day quiet” and “knocking with mittens quiet” immediately set a wintry backdrop, while “blown fuse quiet” and “shattered ornament quiet” speak to the more frustrating moments of holiday prep. Watching the furry animals in Liwska’s subtly hued pencil drawings participate in a Christmas pageant, make gingerbread houses, and listen for sleigh bells adds to a sense of gentle anticipation. Reverence for the quieter aspects of the season is indeed a gift. Ages 4–8. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)