MY PENGUIN OSBERT

In this playful cautionary tale, a boy asks Santa for—and receives—a gift that proves more than he can handle. On Christmas morning, Joe tiptoes downstairs to find just what he wanted under the tree: a real-live penguin named Osbert. But after several very frigid days out in the snow, lots of cold-water baths and meals of creamed herring with his new penguin pal, Joe wonders if he's made a wise choice. A follow-up letter to Santa gets a response with some thinly veiled advice in the form of two free passes to the grand opening of Antarctic World at the local zoo. Though the predictable ending wraps things up tidily, youngsters will still find much to enjoy in this lighthearted fantasy with realistic holiday roots (and the refrain will likely produce chuckles: "But I had asked for Osbert, and now I had him"). Lewis's (Can I Have a Stegosaurus, Mom? Can I? Please!? ) blend of watercolor, pastel and some digital rendering creates an appropriately dreamy-looking backdrop for Joe's adventure. A cool blue-white palette is often tempered with the glow and shadow generated by inviting indoor lighting. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)