Throughout the winter day, a magical pine tree sparkles with silver lights, gleaming in the snow and providing a central focal point for the surprises hidden under multiple flaps. Rather bland rhyming couplets set up the scene on each spread, "And as the sun shines in the sky,/a brilliant goldfinch sings,/while underground, a sleeping bee/awaits the start of spring."The pictures are colorful and attractive and children will certainly enjoy finding the wide variety of surprises under the flap. However, be aware that this is absolutely not an accurate picture of nature! The first spread sets the scene for a pine woods in winter; presumably the white cat seen in the background is actually an ermine? And I'm not sure about swan's migratory patterns. Start lifting the flap and get a surprise... I am definitely sure that parakeets don't live in the pine woods of the north in the snow! Some scenes randomly show flowers at the wrong season or animals in the wrong coat - goldfinches have a duller winter coat, not bright yellow. Some things aren't identified just called "berries" or "yellow bird."
This is a lift-the-flap, board book, formatted like a picture book. It has a total of seven pages, made of thin cardboard, and is tall and thin, about 12 x 7 inches. I've used some of Courtney-Tickle's previous titles in storytime kits, which is usually the only use I have for books with movable parts, but a holiday book is a little different because it is generally only used once a year.
Verdict: Factual inaccuracies aside, this is an attractive novelty that is sure to enjoy brisk circulation in your holiday collections, although I don't expect it to last long-term. An additional purchase.
ISBN: 9781536203110; Published October 16, 2018 by Big Picture Press; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library
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