Kirby Puckernut and the Christmas Surprise

Title: KIRBY PUCKERNUT AND THE CHRISTMAS SURPRISE

Author: Alicia Richardson

Illustrator: Don Seegmiller

Publisher:  Brigham Distributing

September 26, 2011

ISBN: 978-1450729390

Genre: Christmas

Kirby Puckernut is an elf in Els Mere, which is near the North Pole. He makes toys for Christmas, and as Christmas nears, he comes up with a brilliant idea. Kirby quickly rushes off to see Santa, and Santa agrees it’s worth a try, so he sends Kirby to live with a family with a teenage girl who doesn’t believe in Christmas magic.

Santa arranges to have Kirby sent special delivery and Kirby arrives. The children are fighting and the box gets knocked on the floor. Kirby is shaken up and scared, but not hurt. The family reads a note from Santa. The two younger children are excited to have their very own elf, but the teenager is very unhappy. She does something very mean and unkind and … is Christmas completely ruined?

KIRBY PUCKERNUT AND THE CHRISTMAS SURPRISE is a fun Christmas story centered around Santa and his elves. The girls (ages ten and seven) loved the pictures, and I read the story to them, then my ten year old read it over again. My sixteen year old couldn’t resist sitting down to read the pictures too.  The children all gave it five stars.

I did enjoy the story, though it saddened me all the fighting that went on in the family, and I think the story was a bit long. I also didn’t like that it didn’t bring out the real meaning of Christmas in anyway. It was all about the more secular meaning of Christmas. And that saddened me.  If you are looking for a great secular book about Christmas, then KIRBY PUCKERNUT AND THE CHRISTMAS SURPRISE is a treat. You and your kids will love it. And since my children gave it five stars – I will as well. Beautifully done in a hardbound book with a dust cover, perfect for gift giving. $17.95. 38 pages.

Kirby Puckernut and the Christmas Surprise - Book Trailer ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLyi1WmGVxI )

Kirby Puckernut Facebook Page: ( http://www.facebook.com/#!/puckernut?fref=ts ) - we have some fun coloring contests coming up in December. 
Kirby Website: (http://www.kirbypuckernut.com/home )

 

Additionally, Alicia Richardson, author of Kirby Puckernut, hopes that you’ll share in another of her family traditions. Support Kenya Keys as they build educational opportunities in rural Africa. For every book sold $1 will be donated to Kenya Keys.  Kenya Keys provides scholarships, builds schools and libraries, and creates leadership opportunities in an area where learning is as treasured as water. Kenya Keys has been helping African youth via educational outreach since 2005.