I Got the Christmas Spirit (I Got the...)

by Connie Schofield-Morrison (Author) Frank Morrison (Illustrator)

I Got the Christmas Spirit (I Got the...)
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
Series: (I Got the...)

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.

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Kirkus

Christmas spirit is expressed in joyous and reflective onomatopoeic exclamations in this new holiday staple, a follow-up to I Got the Rhythm (2014)... Soul-stirring and sure to put readers in a festive mood. (Picture book. 3-6)

Copyright 2018 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

The ebullient girl who first appeared in Schofield-Morrison's I Got the Rhythm wakes up brimming with Christmas spirit. She and her mother venture into the snowy streets of their diverse city neighborhood. As the girl--cozily dressed in a purple parka--admires a festive department store window, "I sparkled in the spirit of the lights." The child joins a group of carolers and inhales the sweet smell of roasting nuts. She even brings cheer to a grumpy Santa: "I spread the spirit with my smile." 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. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1—Wintry scenes on every page set the scene for another winning picture book from this husband-and-wife duo. As in I Got the Rhythm, Morrison's ebullient oil-on-canvas paintings depict a young African American girl in an urban setting who is overjoyed that the Christmas season has arrived. The story begins with the girl waking up to snow falling outside her bedroom window. The text and illustrations show the child using all five senses to experience a winter day during the Christmas season. "I heard the spirit in the air..." She and her mother spend the day shopping, ice skating, caroling, and visiting Santa Claus; the girl's joy in her surroundings is evident in the illustrations. The colors are rich and saturated, but not overdone. Schofield-Morrison's text is concise enough to make this a good choice for a storytime, even for preschoolers. The message, "THE SPIRIT IS YOU!" and that the holiday is as much about giving as receiving are important ones. VERDICT A first purchase for schools or communities that wish to include Christmas in their winter celebrations.—Jennifer Steib Simmons, Anderson County Library, SC

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"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

"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

Connie Schofield-Morrison

Connie Schofield-Morrison captured the rhythm of the neighborhood in her first picture book, I Got the Rhythm, and again in I Got the Christmas Spirit and I Got the School Spirit. She is also the author of the picture book biography Stitch by Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom. 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. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
@i_c_o_n_n_i_e (Instagram)

Frank Morrison works as a fine artist and is the award-winning illustrator of many books for children, including the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award-winning titles Standing in the Need of Prayer and RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul. Frank also wrote and illustrated Kick Push. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
https: //morrisongraphics.com
@frankmorrison (Instagram)

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781681195285
Lexile Measure
320
Guided Reading Level
J
Publisher
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publication date
September 04, 2018
Series
(I Got the...)
BISAC categories
JUV023000 - Juvenile Fiction | Lifestyles | City & Town Life
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV017010 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Christmas & Advent
Library of Congress categories
Christmas stories
Mothers and daughters
Christmas
Christmas fiction

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