The Christmas Book Flood

PreS–Kilgore introduces readers to the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið as they follow a young girl with dark skin who is searching for the perfect book to give. The opening pages show the girl and other townspeople as they search for the perfect gift books in the Bókatíðindi, the Book Bulletin. In magical Currier and Ives–style tableaus, people shop in a welcoming bookstore. The girl finds the perfect book just before the bookstore closes on Christmas Eve and rushes home to experience the joy of gifting new worlds and adventures to someone. An author’s note at the end, which shares the history of the Book Flood and encourages participation in the tradition, might have better served readers as a foreword. The text flows well and will read aloud nicely. Moss captures the magic of reading and of Christmas in mixed media scenes, while incorporating book pages and anthropomorphized creatures. The warm illustrations depict a wonderfully diverse town and the renderings exude book love for all.