A side-by-side Christmas book review

Readers of The Book Shelf's blog will be well-versed in how much I love sharing a reading experience with my 11-year-old son, Owen. While much of what we now (and he, independently) read together is middle grade literature, we both still enjoy hearty picture books. And if they have any type of holiday theme? Better yet.

In our recent trip up north, we ventured into a bright, well-stocked, cheery independent bookstore and I beelined to the Children's section. While I am always on the hunt for new-to-me, lesser know titles to showcase here at The Book Shelf -- I am also always wanting to do the same for my boy's collection. Childhood is fleeting, and these book experiences are one way I love to secure Owen and I to this season of life.

After parking myself in front of the Children's holiday section on the bookstore's floor, I came away with 2 selections that grabbed me. One was PERFECTION for the Young Reader's section of The Book Shelf's holiday shop (the 'Christmas and Chanukah' listing) and one that screamed 'I want this for myself!' The latter was titled The Book Cook.

Owen and I ushered in December with The Book Cook as our first holiday read. After we finished the story and chatted about our personal impressions (hint: they differed!), we both thought it would be fun to do a side-by-side book review for the first blog of the December. This way, our readers can hear 2 different opinions before they decide for themselves if The Book Cook should join their Christmas reading collection.

Go on and grab your warm drink and a blanket for our truth-be-told holiday review of The Book Cook by D.C. Swanson and illustrated by Clint Hansen!

What do you look for in a Christmas book?

Owen: I like a book that makes up a character or is based on a Christmas movie. If it's a movie book, they should add in the main parts but not every detail. It has to be enough of the movie to want to read the book. I also like classic Christmas books, ones that came out a long time ago like The Night Before Christmas or the one where snowmen come alive (Snowmen at Christmas).

Nicky: A Christmas book should have something in it that feels nostalgic, but that doesn't mean it can't be a 'new' book! Nostalgic could mean it takes place in the past, maybe it is in the illustrations, has some element that reminds me of being a kid at Christmas OR be a favorite childhood Christmas book.

What was your first impression of The Book Cook when you saw the cover?

Owen: It looked good and interesting. I thought it was going to be a big story, a mystery story.

Nicky: I actually thought their might be an element of darker Christmas magic, based on the scratchboard cover illustration. Also, the fact that the cover was drawn completely in black except for a strand of holiday lights intrigued me.

What is the main message of The Book Cook?

Owen: I honestly couldn't tell what the message was. It just seemed like 2 twins who make a story and then their little story ends, but you don't go back to them.

Nicky: I think the main message of The Book Cook is that stories have the ability, creativity and freedom to take a reader anywhere.

What were some highlights of the storytelling and book experience?

Owen: It was pretty cool there was a book cook and that the book was a story 2 kids made up.

Nicky: The illustrations were SO INCREDIBLE and are 100% as important as the story, in my opinion. I also loved that when the kids were 'cooking' a book, meaningful and unique language swirled around the pages for 'extra' reading.

If you were the author of The Book Cook, what would you have done differently?

Owen: I would have made it longer. I feel like their wasn't much of a story, just 2 kids who saw themselves in something and met a person. I would have made them go on an adventure through their stories. It didn't really attract my attention, kinda boring.

Nicky: Owen mentioned this above, but it bothered me that the story began with 2 siblings watching a blizzard on Christmas Eve -- but didn't circle back to end with them. The story introduces this blizzard scene, and sets up the siblings as wanting to invent a story while they are watching the snow (enter meeting a book cook) -- fantastic! But once the invented story's characters create a story with the book cook and give it to their mother as a present -- poof! That is the last page. That ending felt off, so I would absolutely have returned to the blizzard scene for the final piece of the story.

Let's think back to the first question when answering: did The Book Cook fulfill what a Christmas book 'should' have for you as a reader?

Owen: No. This book was plain, not much of a story or the story was too small. The theme of the kids going into the little shop did not feel like Christmas.

Nicky: Yes and no. The illustrations, especially of the snowy city, felt nostalgic; at first, Owen and I weren't sure what the setting was time wise because the pictures had a bit of a historical feel. The only color throughout The Book Cook was similar to what we saw on the cover -- only in the holiday lights.

Aside from the author telling us it was Christmas Eve and those colored lights -- I don't know if this is a 'true' Christmas story.

Give this reading experience a rating of 1 (Please never make me read this book ever again!) to 10 (This book will become a rotating fixture in our reading collection!)

Owen: 6, because the illustrations add 3 or 4 points. They are really unique and cool. I've never read a book that had those illustrations before.

Nicky: 7 (and only because the dropped off ending really bothered me!) I think it's a very unique offering 'for' Christmas and would recommend a reading -- you CANNOT miss these illustrations. But I would probably have The Book Cook just stay on a 'regular' book shelf, and not keep it for Christmas.

There you have it! Give The Book Cook a try this holiday season -- and let us know if our reviews did the reading experience justice.