Merry Christmas, Little Elliot by Mike Curato

Title: Merry Christmas, Little Elliot
Author and Illustrator: Mike Curato
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Publication date: September 11, 2018
Pages: 40
Source/format: Hardcover//Library

Rating: ☆☆☆☆1/2

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Best friends Little Elliot and Mouse are back for another adventure--and this time, they're looking for Christmas spirit!

Little Elliot the elephant isn't quite sure what Christmas spirit is, but he suspects he doesn't have it. Not even a visit to Santa Claus can put Elliot in the right mood. But when chance blows a letter for Santa into Elliot and Mouse's path, the two friends discover what Christmas is all about--and make a new friend, too. A heartfelt celebration of the season of giving! Perfect for sharing around the holidays.

M Y T H O U G H T S

Elliot and Mouse spend one December day visiting Santa in New York City. While Mouse asks Santa for a toy train, Little Elliot asks Santa for Christmas spirit. Unfortunately, Santa can't give him Christmas spirit and he tells Little Elliot that he can't give him Christmas spirit since he has to find that out for himself.

Mike Curato's heartfelt picture book celebrates the friendship between old and new friends. He depicts the true meaning of Christmas; it's not about the toys but it's about the experience and finding what is meaningful to you during this time of year. Little Elliot and Mouse try to find Christmas spirit through multiple avenues such as seeing the Nutcracker, visiting Rockefeller Center and even going sledding. When Little Elliot finds a red envelope addressed to Santa at the North Pole, he is one step closer to finding the Christmas spirit.

Merry Christmas, Little Elliot has a cheerful cover with a red background with wonderful typography fitting for the season and the plot of the story. Merry Christmas is written as if a child is addressing a letter to Santa. Little Elliot is illustrated to look like a looping ribbon with one i dotted with an ornament. Under the dust jacket, the book is designed to look like the red envelope that Little Elliot finds. Curato's illustrations are always delightful to look at. With the muted tones of color, the timelessness of the illustrations will last for years to come.

Merry Christmas, Little Elliot is a fun and merry book perfect for the Christmas season and during the colder winter months. If you need a bit of cheering up and some happy spirit, check out this book along with the rest of Curato's Little Elliot series.