From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3. An almost wordless fantasy about a young family consisting of a mom, her two daughters, and an assortment of animals who get evicted from their farmhouse on Christmas Eve. In a parallel to the original Christmas story and the small family that had nowhere to go, this odd group makes the best of a bad situation and takes up residence in an empty barn nearby. With good humor and determination, they march down the snowy path to the barn. The horses pull the grand piano (its flaming candelabra still lit) on skis, the dogs pull the bed (stuffed animals still arranged on it), and everyone gallops back for more. Everything goes: even the Santa and sleigh display from the yard, the decorated tree, and a toboggan carrying everything else, from the animals' food to the dryer (with the clothes still tumbling). And it's all moved in and set up, as the snow begins to fall, in plenty of time to celebrate the holiday. The beautiful oil paintings capture the cold, snow-swept, star-filled countryside as effectively as they portray the essence and personality of each character, human or animal. With Day's characteristic comic touches, realistic scenes are given a whimsical, at times almost absurd spin, and a jolly good time is had by all.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
An intriguing vignette preceding the title page displays Taffy MacDonald's much-forwarded letter from a realtor telling her that the house she rents has been sold and she must be out by December 24. This news, sent on November 12, arrives on Christmas Eve--a bad time to move, but Taffy is undaunted; the rest of the book requires no words for her two children and their dozen animals to know exactly what she has in mind (given the book's title, it's not that much of secret). To scenes of the family's exodus through the snow to an abandoned barn, Day brings the same warmth and humor as is found in the Carl books (Carl's Birthday, 1995, etc.). Taffy's unquenchable spirit and can-do attitude engage everyone as she leads the relocation parade, a mop-wielding drum majorette. Two horses pull the grand piano, skis beneath, candelabra atop; two dogs transport a sleigh-style bed; the pot-bellied stove slides behind one strong husky dog; the girls push and pull a couple of racks of clothes. This is no harsh treatment of homelessness; the whimsical touches include a crescent moon tugged along by two pigs, and a life-size lawn ornament of Santa and the reindeers scooting past, seeming to wave at readers. (Picture book. 3-7) --
Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
