Miracle on 133rd Street

Never underestimate the power of food to bring people together--especially at the holidays. So it goes in Sesame Street alum Manzano's warm and funny tale. When Mami's Christmas Eve roast won't fit in the oven, Jose and his Papi take the meat to the local pizza shop to cook there. The neighbors they pass on the way are all mired in holiday crabbiness--feeling lonely, frazzled, or dead broke. But hours later, when father and son carry the roast back home, its enticing smell magically melts away any bickering or complaints, leading the whole building (and the pizzeria's owner) to Jose's family's apartment for a boisterous celebration. Priceman's rainbows of color and wintry swirls of white and blue capture a bustling New York City neighborhood as Manzano confidently unfurls an urban Christmas miracle with a distinct Boricua flair. Ages 4-8. Illustrator's agent: Jennifer Lyons, Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency. (Sept.)

K-Gr 4—Jose and his family's Christmas Eve isn't going well. They are homesick for Puerto Rico, and their tiny apartment means a tiny tree and an oven too small to cook the Christmas roast. When Papi and Jose decide to take the roast to a local pizzeria to make use of the larger ovens, they find that the spirit of the holidays has passed by many of their neighbors, too, a multicultural cast of community members who have also lost the Christmas spirit. But when the aroma of the perfectly cooked roast Jose and Papi bring back travels through the apartment building, magical realism makes for a Christmas miracle as the whole building discovers the enjoyment of friends and family. Priceman's illustrations are lovely, with bright, cheerful colors literally swirling with the action of the season. The characters are detailed, diverse, and full of personality. VERDICT Families will enjoy curling up with this warm story about finding home in community.—Brooke Sheets, Los Angeles Public Library