Judy Moody and Stink: The Holly Joliday » (Reprint)

Megan McDonald is the author of the award-winning Judy Moody series and its companion series starring Stink. She is also the author of ANT AND HONEY BEE, illustrated by Brian Karas. "I used to live near my sister in Minnesota, where it’s very snowy," she says. "My sister had a mailman whose name was . . . Jack Frost. For real! I never forgot because I thought it was so funny and so magical." Megan McDonald now lives in Sebastopol, California.

Judy Moody is making a list and checking it twice, but all her brother, Stink, wants this year is snow. It hasn’t snowed on Christmas in Virginia in more than a hundred years, however, so what are the chances that that will change? Enter the new mailman, Mr. Jack Frost, who not only looks like a jolly old elf but also seems to know a lot about weather patterns, has a fondness for the cold, and works looooooong hours during the holiday season. Plus it’s the best time of the year, when strange packages and lots of surprises are swirling around, so isn’t it possible that Stink might get his wish? Fans who curl up with this new Moody comedy can be sure that their bellies will shake like a bowlful of jelly.

Children's Literature

Judy Moody made a T.P. list of what she wanted for Christmas. That is "a Totally Presents list" created on toilet paper, the only thing long enough to contain her whole list. Her younger brother, Stink, had a very short list. He wanted snow. When the new mailman, Jack Frost, tells Stink that he "can almost taste snow in the air," and delivers an anonymous package with mittens for the children, Stink is sure that his wish will come true. This is contrasted with Judy's class presentation: a song about Christmas in Hawaii —a far cry from the snow-filled traditional Christmas scenes. Peter Reynolds' full-page illustrations and McDonald's humorous quips and wordplay keep the story moving at a lively pace in this, the newest book in the series. Judy Moody's Christmas spirit and a little Christmas magic make this a delightful early chapter book for the season. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo