Clarice Bean: Think like an Elf
by Lauren Child; illus. by the author
Primary, Intermediate    Candlewick    240 pp.    g
9/22    978-1-5362-2365-1    $19.99

Clarice Bean fans rejoice: the star of highly illustrated chapter books (and of picture books) brings her trademark exuberant stream-of-consciousness narration (with occasional sly authorial snark) to Christmas. Twelve brief chapters touch on card giving, gift exchange (who doesn’t love fudge?), favorite carols, Ruby Redfort, and more, as the narrative—with the series’ recognizably quirky shifts in font, type, format, and mixed-media illustrations ­throughout—follows our plucky protagonist through the highs (singing a solo) and lows (ruining the turkey) of the season. An enjoyable chapter book full of wit and good cheer.

From the November/December 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.