The Christmas Sweater

The radio and TV host's debut picture book repackages his adult novel of the same name into a short parable. Eddie wants a bike for Christmas, but his twinkly-eyed grandpa tells him that he doesn't see a bike in the boy's future, but rather a Christmas sweater. When a disappointed Eddie takes a dream journey to a snowy forest, he opens a package containing the sweater and is whisked into a procession of idyllic Christmastime moments with his mother, father and grandpa. In the morning, it's the sweater he's excited about, not the shiny bike. Dorman's warm, vintage-style digital illustrations complement Beck's unambiguous message. Ages 4–7. (Oct.)