No Peeking at Presents

PreS-Gr 2–In this Christmas story, three children are not supposed to peek at their presents until morning. However, in the middle of the night, they hear a squeak, and the two younger children want to go down and look. But their oldest brother stops them. This scene happens several times, until the older brother cannot take it anymore and goes to see what is squeaking by the Christmas tree. It turns out that one of their presents is a puppy who is chewing a squeaky dog toy. A joy-filled holiday is then had by all. Detailed drawings and painted pictures are filled with lots of items, including toy dinosaurs, cars, and balls that the children have spread across their room. There are also two pet cats. These illustrations can keep young readers entertained as they have seek-and-find fun looking for different toys and animals in the pictures. The cast includes Dad, who is white; Mom, who has brown skin; and their children with various skin tones. Though it has a simple story line, this book, with its amazingly detailed illustrations, does a good job of bringing readers into the mystery of what is squeaking by the tree.