The Holly-day After


Children - Picture Book
32 Pages
Reviewed on 06/22/2021
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Nick and his Uncle Kris have finished their annual trip around the world distributing gifts to all the good children. Young Nick is very excited that the night is over and they can return to the North Pole and enjoy the holly-day after celebrations. That’s when all the elves have their traditional celebration. It begins with the elves competing for the best pancake sculpture – yes, they build their sculptures using freshly made pancakes. The winning entry this year is a full replica of the community of North Pole – all made with pancakes! When family and friends arrive, there’s good food, good cheer, and lots of good stories to share to make it a festive occasion. But the biggest tradition, the one Nick enjoys the most, is going outside to plant the future holly-day after trees. After all, “This is what the day was all about. Time spent together and time giving back.”

Danielle Marietta’s picture book story, The Holly-day After, is a charming story about Christmas celebrations at the North Pole. The plot begins with the last gifts tucked into children’s stockings and Nick and his Uncle Kris’s trip home on Santa’s sleigh. The festive nature of the storytelling blends together with good cheer and lots of excitement. The author cleverly parallels North Pole traditions with what the rest of the world must do for their celebrations, the message being quite clear that Christmas, and the holly-day after, are days of gathering with friends and family and the joy of giving rather than receiving. That’s how traditions originate, after all. With a few quotes borrowed from the famous poem, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, this is a wonderful feel-good Christmas story that will warm the hearts of young and old alike. Beautifully told and illustrated.