Dasher Can't Wait for Christmas by Matt Tavares
Published by Candlewick Press on September 5, 2023
ISBN: 1536230138
Pages: 40
Genres: Holiday
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Matt Tavares’s sequel to the New York Times best-selling Dasher is a joyful ode to helping others and reminiscent of “The Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg . Dasher’s excitement for the holiday gets the better of her and she sneaks off  to follow Christmas carols and twinkling lights. But as snow starts to fall, Dasher realizes she can no longer spot the North Star in the sky to lead her home. A child comes to Dasher’s aid. Dasher makes it back to the North Pole and is reunited with Santa and the rest of the reindeer. While the story is fittingly holiday-ish, the digital illustrations in a realistic style are what makes the book special. I prefer the illustrations in this one to “Dasher” because they are not as dark. They are luminous!  Recommended for holiday collections for libraries and individual families alike. I predict that soon we will be able to purchase a compass with “The North Pole” engraved on its edge to gift to children along with the book. Matt Tavares lives in Ogunquit, Maine.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library