By Alex T. Smith
Silver Dolphin Books an Imprint of Printers Row Publishing Group 2019
Chapter Book, 176 Pages, ages 4-9 years
Winston the mouse finds a letter on Christmas Eve addressed to Santa Claus that somehow didn’t make it to the mailbox or did it? Perhaps it found a “shimmer of winter magic” and somehow escaped the mailbox and went dancing down the street. So Winston sets out on a mission to find Santa Claus and deliver the letter in time for Christmas day. As he travels through the city he meets some wonderful new friends and has some pretty exciting adventures.
How an adorable mouse and a good deed can lead to a very happy ending.
Some of the characters in this book are unforgettable such as Eduardo Fromage, who lives in Fortesque’s Department Store. He is a very persnickety rat with the finest of taste and insisted that Winston have a bath before he partakes of the lovely cheeses and cookies in the store. He is also rescued by a very fluffy cat that doesn’t eat mice, but only eats canapes, and salmon with a touch of caviar.
This book is written in 24 and ½ chapters, one for each day of December in a countdown to Christmas. It includes family fun Christmas themed activities and crafts thus creating lasting memories of family time during the holidays. It’s beautifully printed and the illustrations are completely captivating. Read it all at once or read it as a family, one chapter a night for the month of December. I did deduct half a star as the narrative can be a bit quaint at times; however, the storyline, art, and interactive structure of the book make it a worthwhile addition to any family’s holiday library. On the whole this book is a grand idea!
How Winston Delivered Christmas gets 4.5 stars from this reviewer.