cover image A Very Kroll Christmas

A Very Kroll Christmas

Betty Paraskevas. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt P, $14.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-15-292883-4

This third collection of subversive verse featuring the imp in the blazer and bow-tie offers up a backhanded salute to the holidays. Thanksgiving dinner (``Pass the peas, pass the rolls/ Hallelujah! Bless the Krolls'') augurs the start of the Christmas season, and Junior quickly gets into the holiday spirit. Aided by his Great Dane, Junior dodges bullies at a bazaar, decorates the tree (and himself), spreads Christmas cheer at an animal shelter-in sum, he decks the halls with equal parts of goodwill and havoc. The verse doesn't always scan, but the sly humor throughout is infectious. All ages. (Oct.)