I Got the Christmas Spirit

Description

In the same feel-good style of I Got the Rhythm, this exuberant picture book explores the joys of the holiday season, once again illustrated by award-winning artist Frank Morrison. It's the most wonderful time of the year, and a mother and daughter are enjoying the sights and sounds of the holiday season. The little girl hears sleigh bells ringing and carolers singing. She smells chestnuts roasting--CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!--and sees the flashing lights of the department store windows--BLING! BLING! BLING! She spreads the spirit of giving wherever she goes. And when she reaches Santa, she tells him her Christmas wish--for peace and love everywhere, all the days of the year.

Connie Schofield-Morrison and Frank Morrison teamed up for the first time to capture the rhythm of the neighborhood in I Got the Rhythm. Connie has been writing since she was a young girl and is inspired every day by the big sounds and bright colors of the world around her. Frank works as a fine artist and is the award-winning illustrator of many books for children, including Our Children Can Soar and Jazzy Miz Mozetta, for which he won the Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe Award for New Talent. Connie and Frank live in Atlanta, Georgia, with their five children.

Christmas spirit is expressed in joyous and reflective onomatopoeic exclamations in this new holiday staple . . . Snowflakes flutter across bright illustrations, encouraging readers to inhale, feel, taste, and listen to all things Christmas as embodied in loving detail in the rhythmic language. . . . Soul-stirring and sure to put readers in a festive mood. * Kirkus Reviews * Morrison's oil paintings capture the crackling energy of a city preparing for Christmas; the married coauthors' message about cultivating kindness, gratitude, and community the whole year through sings on the page. * Publishers Weekly * Schofield-Morrison's onomatopoeia-inflected text and Morrison's kinetic, zoomed-in oil paintings enliven various iterations of experiencing 'the spirit' . . . An energetic and uplifting celebration of the season. * Horn Book Magazine * The driving beat of debut author Schofield-Morrison's narrative is likely to have readers bouncing and tapping right along with her . . . An upbeat celebration of the senses, self-expression, and camaraderie. * Publishers Weekly on I GOT THE RHYTHM * The bright palette and vibrant tones of Morrison's loosely painted illustrations echo the energy of the text nicely . . . the book begs readers to sing and move along with this little dancer. * Booklist on I GOT THE RHYTHM * For a storytime that will get bodies rocking, fingers popping, and rhythm flowing. * Library Media Connection on I GOT THE RHYTHM * The little girl at the center of it all is wholly likable in her joyful approach. . . . This will work well in an interactive storytime for preschoolers, as listeners are invited to shake and stomp along with the happy protagonist. * BCCB on I GOT THE RHYTHM * Ready made for storytime, Schofield-Morrison's text pulses with a beat of its own and practically demands audiences to clap along. . . . The urban setting and varied cast of characters make this title particularly valuable, showcasing diversity as an integral part of everyday life. * School Library Journal on I GOT THE RHYTHM *