cover image The Broken Ornament

The Broken Ornament

Tony DiTerlizzi. Simon & Schuster, $17.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-4169-3976-4

There’s no missing the timeless message of this tale by DiTerlizzi (The Spider and the Fly). On Christmas Eve, Jack’s requests for additional decorations and a bigger tree (“Santa needs more room underneath to leave us more presents!”) are scuttled by his parents, who look on in horror as Jack plucks a striped ball from an old box—an antique ornament that drops from its hook and shatters. After his parents sorrowfully retreat upstairs, an elfin fairy named Tinsel appears and grants, with over-the-top embellishment, Jack’s wish for “the best Christmas ever!” Though nutcrackers, reindeer, and snowmen parade through the door, and snow-covered trees burst through the floor, Jack demands “More! More!” But he realizes that something’s missing, and Tinsel shares a vision from the past: his mother’s grandmother giving her the ornament he broke. The author delivers a sound, easily relatable lesson about the perils of greed—and the essence of Christmas—as Jack devises a way to make amends in the story’s heartwarming finale. Ages 4–8. [em](Sept.) [/em]