cover image Jingle Bells

Jingle Bells

Illus. by Jill Howarth. Running Press, $10.95 (8p) ISBN 978-0-7624-5842-4

Retro-inspired digital artwork and expressive typography create a fun atmosphere for this board book version of the holiday carol “Jingle Bells.” It also featured three actual jingle bells affixed to the back cover, ensuring that both chorus and verse are accented with the very sound they celebrate. In Howarth’s accompanying images, wide-eyed children cavort in a snowy landscape, joined by friendly polar bears, rabbits, squirrels, and—of course—one horse pulling a sleigh. A penguin is also in the mix—maybe this is a South Pole Christmas celebration? Ages 3–up. (Sept.)