Peanut Butter & Santa Claus

September 1, 2019
The third picture-book collaboration by McGee and Santoso (Peanut Butter & Aliens, 2017, etc.) takes a stab at holiday festivities. Reginald the zombie, Zarfon the alien, and Abigail Zink, "the smartest girl in Quirkville," are "eager and excited for Santa's visit." But then a terrible storm prompts the mayor to announce that "CHRISTMAS IS CANCELED." The trio of friends is determined to "help Santa out of that storm." They head out in Zarfon's spaceship, loaded with (what else?) peanut butter. When they see the North Pole they quickly discover that the storm isn't blowing snow all around but rather marshmallow. Santa explains that "the marshmallow cream factory has gone bonkers!" and Zarfon has the bright idea to stuff the factory's chimneys with peanut butter. This stops the storm for a bit, but then there's a marshmallow-and-peanut-butter explosion. The combination is nothing short of delicious, so they make sandwiches and then Santa hitches his reindeer to the spaceship (because its engines were clogged), and they sail off to deliver the goodies for Christmas. While fans of prior books may enjoy this one's familiarity, the story is...a bit of a mess, and the art mostly replicates the action of the text without doing much to help things stick together. Hold the peanut butter and stick to milk and cookies for Santa. (Picture book. 4-6)

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October 7, 2019
In a follow-up to Peanut Butter & Brains and Peanut Butter & Aliens, the characters from Quirkville—Reginald, a gentle blue zombie, alien peanut-butter transporter Zarfon, and resourceful heroine Abigail Zink—zip off to the North Pole in a spaceship. Why? Christmas has been canceled on account of a storm, and Santa Claus needs saving. When they arrive, they learn that it’s not the snow impacting the visibility—it’s marshmallow cream. The solution, shown in Santoso’s expressive art: scooping up the sticky mess and making using what’s on hand to set things right. McGee again delivers an unlikely mash-up of zombies, aliens, and food for readers who just might prefer Halloween over Christmas. Ages 3–7.

July 1, 2019
"CHRISTMAS IS CANCELED!" Quirkville's zombies, humans, and extraterrestrials are distressed to discover that an unexpected storm may keep Santa away from town. Never fear: Reginald, Zarfon, and Abigail Zink (Peanut Butter & Brains) save Santa--and Christmas--from what turns out to be a marshmallow blizzard. Funny sound effects ("SPLOINK"; "JINGLE JINGLE"), Zarfon's non-verbal speech balloons, and larger-than-life comedy deliver a sweet-and-salty tale.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2019
"CHRISTMAS IS CANCELED!" The zombies, humans, and extraterrestrials of Quirkville are distressed to discover that an unexpected storm may ruin the holiday by keeping Santa away from town. Never fear: Reginald, Zarfon, and Abigail Zink (Peanut Butter & Brains, rev. 9/15; Peanut Butter & Aliens) save Santa-and Christmas-from what turns out to be a marshmallow blizzard. (Their solution involves sandwiches.) Funny sound effects ("SPLOINK"; "JINGLE JINGLE"), Zarfon's non-verbal speech balloons, and larger-than-life comedy work together to deliver a sweet-and-salty tale. Katie Smith

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)