If Animals Celebrated Christmas
(If Animals Kissed Good Night)

In the third entry in their If Animals series, Paul and Walker ponder how animal families might prepare for Christmas. If animals were to celebrate the holiday, "Crabs would scamper from the deep, dark sea, / and build a seashell Christmas tree" while, under a starry sky, "Papa and Mama Buffalo/ would grunt greetings and kiss beneath mistletoe." Walker illustrates in a cozy, smudgy art style that lovingly depicts the animal babies and parents in a range of wilderness settings. If Koala celebrated Christmas, she would hang her stocking from a tree and, after cuddling with her Mama and Papa, "she'd fall asleep in her high-branch bed/ with visions of reindeer flying through her head--/ a team of them!--/ fast on their way." A satisfying final spread shows a polar bear Santa with a sleigh full of toys. Ages 2-6. (Sept.)