Lucy Brownridge

The eponymous Cat Family prepares for Christmas in this adorable interactive book for Advent from British author Lucy Brownridge and South Korean illustrator Eunyoung Seo. On each of the twelve days before Christmas, the family engage in various activities—decorating, baking treats, writing Christmas cards and letters to Santa, picking up Granny and Grandpa Cat at the train station, going Christmas caroling in the village—while the twelve two-page board book spreads feature over 140 flaps that can be pulled back. The book concludes on Christmas Eve, as the Cat family (and another family revealed under the flaps) look forward to the big day itself, on the morrow...

The first of two interactive titles to feature this feline family—the subsequent title, Cat Family at The Museum: A Lift-the-Flap Book, was published last year (2023)—Cat Family Christmas: A Lift-the-Flap Advent Book pairs an engaging story about a loving family at the holidays with cute-as-a-button artwork. The many flaps will keep young children engrossed, and provide hours of extra fun, revealing either the contents of various objects (baskets, boxes, etc) or the activities of the mouse family which apparently lives side by side with the eponymous cat family, inside their walls and just out of sight. I really appreciated the fact that the flaps don't just reveal hidden objects here, but actually tell a parallel story to the main one being spun in the text. Recommended to younger children at Christmas, who enjoy this kind of lift-the-flap fun!… (mer)

So much searching and fun, while letting the atmosphere of the approaching holidays beam from every page.

There's only a few days left until Christmas, which means there are more than a couple things to get done. Readers join the Cat family as they prepare presents, do chores, pack, and so much more during their preparation for the upcoming celebration.

This book has a lovely, traditional flair, making it perfect for a read aloud leading up to the holidays. The text flows smoothly, giving just enough description to ring in the season, while letting the lively illustrations take over the rest. Each scene holds many details and characters as they busy themselves with activities to make the coming days a joy. This gives plenty of places for the small flaps to hide. Listeners will have to search and find each door, and discover the fun surprises inside. These are hidden enough to make it fun for even slightly older listeners.

The text is age appropriate for listeners, and those, who are pretty sure of their words, can try it on their own. There's a slight bit of cat humor built in, which adds a nice flair. The scenes also vary quite a bit, including everything from a train station, a store, a farm, and more. So there's a nice dose of variety in the places and objects young listeners will see...and have to search through.

I do see this as being a favorite during the Advent season, which will be picked up again and again.
I received a DRC and am adding this one to my own Christmas present list.… (mer)