A young, unnamed narrator heads outside on a snowy night to feed the animals that gather. Then, near Christmas, the family finds a reindeer who has stumbled in the snow. Grandma urges the sickly reindeer indoors, where she and the two children feed and care for it. When the child awakes, the reindeer is gone, flying across the sky. On Christmas a letter arrives from Santa, who thanks the family. Poor Donner was lost in a blizzard; without him, Santa's sleigh couldn't fly. Because of the care he received, Donner was airborne on Christmas, and in gratitude, Santa gives the children a box with magic reindeer glow. The text, with its determined, simple rhyme scheme, does its job and moves the story along; but it is the artwork that elevates this. Using watercolors as well as instant coffee and bleach (!), Good creates artwork precise and lovely with a holiday glow. Presumably, it's pinpoints of bleach that give the effect of snow, while the holiday reds and greens add a festive note. A sweet story that captures the magic of Christmas.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2008 Booklist

One of Santa's reindeer loses his way and is rescued by a kind family in this tale with an old-fashioned flavor. The family brings the exhausted reindeer into the kitchen to care for him, and he is soon recovered enough to fly off to rejoin Santa's team, just in time for Christmas Eve deliveries. The young son of the family, who narrates the rhyming text in first person, receives a thank-you letter and a special box from Santa containing "magic reindeer glow," which can make a wish come true. In the final spread the boy, now a young man, uses the wish to ask for "peace and happiness and love." Good's illustrations are done in a naf style using a muted palette of such media as watercolors, instant coffee and bleach; these unusual materials provide a sepia glow, an interesting marbled effect and realistic specks of snow in the outdoor scenes. The rhyming text is rather singsong and the plot is aggressively sentimental in nature, but this author-illustrator duo has a following of fans (including adults) who enjoy their sweet-natured stories. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

PreS-Gr 1-One snowy evening, while distributing treats to the forest animals, two children and their grandmother come upon an exhausted and hungry deer. They escort the poor creature to their home, where he is fed and pampered by the cozy fire; before sunrise, he is gone. On Christmas morning, an extra present waits beneath the tree-a small wooden box with a note from Santa Claus himself. It turns out they'd helped one of his reindeer, and, in doing so, saved Christmas. Inside the box is "magic reindeer glow," which will make a wish come true. The resulting wish brings this lyrical, rhyming tale to a satisfying and heartwarming close. The artwork, done in watercolor, instant coffee, and bleach, yields a pleasing shimmery effect. Warm reds, greens, and golds are dappled with creamy flurries of snow, creating a rich texture that complements the linear simplicity of Good's scenery.-Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.