(Primary, Intermediate) Oh no -- not another tale of holiday togetherness, in annoying doggerel, no less! Well, it is, and it isn't. First Nations author King (A Coyote Columbus Story) demonstrates his characteristic iconoclastic humor in this anti-consumerism story. A little girl, looking for "friendship and goodwill and peace" in a materialistic world, unexpectedly drops in on Coyote and his friends at Christmastime. Setting out through the woods to bring her home, they find themselves at the mall, where Coyote temporarily falls under the spell of excessive consumption. The rather relentless meter of the verse would seem to deliver the message with a heavy hand -- but King breaks into the sing-song with deadpan commentary ("So this is what humans do, said Coyote") that makes it clear there's much fun being poked here. Dryly humorous cartoon illustrations in pen-and-ink and watercolor wash put Coyote's emotions on full display -- whether a bundle of nerves when first meeting the little girl or blissed out on shopping. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

K-Gr 3-Coyote is expecting Beaver, Bear, Otter, and Moose for a solstice dinner at his small house in the woods but a little girl in a reindeer costume shows up first. When the friends follow her tracks to discover where she came from, they discover a huge and frenzied mall just beyond the woods, where Coyote goes wild shopping until he discovers that he has to pay for the stuff. The humor is dry and affectionate, the rhyming text delights with sly turns of phrase, the watercolor cartoons are whimsical, and the small size of the book (a bit bigger than a DVD case) adds to the charm. This holiday treat will leave readers with no doubt that an evening spent at home with your buds is priceless.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

While Coyote prepares for a winter feast with friends, a young girl knocks on his door, explaining that she wants to find friendship and goodwill and peace. When his animal friends arrive, they all set off to find the girl's parents and come to a brightly lit shopping mall, crammed with frantic shoppers. After Coyote's wild, hilarious shopping spree, which fizzles when he has no money, the girl rejoins her parents, and the animals return to Coyote's cozy cabin where they share a meal, stories, and songs, and pray for clean water and air. Told in rhymed verse and published in an appropriately smaller format, this wry, anti-consumerism story will resonate in the current economy. Expressive cartoon-style pictures add humor and attitude to a refreshing, unconventional holiday story.--Perkins, Linda Copyright 2010 Booklist

This witty winter tale deftly skewers the materialistic aspect of the holiday season in a humorous, trenchant way. Coyote is surprised when a little girl with pretend antlers and a fake red nose shows up at his home in the North Woods for a visit. The girl leads Coyote and his four animal friends to a crowded shopping mall full of crabby shoppers and expensive merchandise. Coyote is intrigued, but he realizes he doesn't need any of the items at the mall, and he and his friends return to the woods for a quiet dinner together to celebrate the solstice. The skillfully rhymed text entertains while making a case for more important aspects of the season than acquiring expensive gifts, and Clement's humorous, cartoon-style illustrations in watercolor and ink add to the story's overall appeal. (Picture book. 4-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.