Candy Corn Christmas! by Jonathan Fenske

With the Christmas season right around the corner, treats and sweets are making their appearance. I just ate the last marshmallow pumpkin head candy a few days ago. Now, I'm acting like the next two weeks will thin my waistline just enough to dive head first into the food season. I don't think it will work, but it's a nice thought. 

Anyway, some people still have Halloween candy standing around. And today's read is for those people out there. What happens when Candy Canes have to deal with leftover candy corns? Well, let's find out!

CANDY CORN CHRISTMAS!

by Jonathan Fenske

Little Simon

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

The most underrated Halloween candies are determined to celebrate Christmas in this wildly sweet holiday mash-up with a dash of humor, a pinch of holiday cheer, and a sugar rush of Christmas magic.

The candy corn exclaimed with glee,
“What is this magic land we see?”
“It’s Christmas,” squeaked a sugarplum.
“Well, watch out, Christmas. Here we come!”

Candy corn is used to being left on the shelf long after Halloween ends, but this year, they’ve had enough of being limited to one holiday. It’s time to join the ranks of Christmas sweet treats for a new festive adventure. But there’s one problem… All the Christmas candies agree candy corn is not a Christmas treat! Can holiday joy really be shared with everyone—even candy that doesn’t seem to belong?

GOODREADS     /      AMAZON     /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Sweet, silliness explodes with chaos and holiday cheer as the joyful sharing of Christmas tests its limits.

Candy corns are accustom to being leftover and forgotten on the shelf. When one of them spies something strange going on in the living room, they all head out to explore. They find lights, trees, songs, and so much more. It's a paradise of glee, and the candy corns are ready to enjoy every aspect of it...maybe, a little too ready. They are all over the place, and the Christmas candies are getting a bit frustrated. Finally, Candy Cane steps up to get control of the situation. The candy corns must leave. After all, they've had their holiday...but that might not really be a great Christmas attitude to have.

This is a book to smile with the entire way through. The candy corns are quite the little rascals as they embrace everything Christmas to a hyper-extreme. The scenes are chaotic and packed with humor, and readers might understand Candy Cane's reluctance to let the candy corns stay. After all, they are a handful! But with a Santa surprise and Christmas goodness, this tale warms by the end in a joyful way.

The illustrations are bright and bold, just like Christmas should be. There are details to giggle at and situations to raise eyebrows as little things happen here and there. It creates scenes to revisit and discover something new each time. The text flows in rhyme, switching gears to add punch at the right times. It lets the atmosphere come across nicely and draws readers into the lively moments. 

While there is a touching message about Christmas and sharing the joy of the holiday, this book mostly circles around fun and is sure to delight young readers.

And here he is...

Jonathan Fenske is the author of many children’s books including The Bug in the Bog; Pill Bug Does Not Need Anybody; After Squidnight; Let’s Play, Crabby!; Wake Up, Crabby!; and Plankton Is Pushy (all Junior Library Guild selections), and the Lego picture book I’m Fun, Too!. His early readers Nothing Fits a Dinosaur and A Pig, a Fox, and a Box were Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor winners. Jonathan lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife and three daughters.