Children’s Book Review: Dashing Through the Snow: A Canadian Jingle Bells
“Dashing through the snow, On a rusty old Ski-Doo, Through the bush we go, Dodging caribou.” So begins the sequel to the much-loved picture book, A Porcupine in a Pine Tree. With Dashing Through the Snow: A Canadian Jingle Bells, award-winning author Helaine Becker and illustrator Werner Zimmermann add another set of catchy lyrics to our Canadian repertoire.
It’s Christmas Eve and Santa soars through the northern-lit sky. Porcupine drives a snowmobile, Beaver yells “Faster, faster!” and Sasquatch runs alongside. When Sasquatch reaches up and upsets Santa’s sleigh, gifts tumble into a messy heap. Creatures gather to celebrate, but will they know which present belongs to each of them?
Using dark blue and green watercolors, Zimmermann paints a tranquil winter night scene and then populates it with spunky creatures. Kids will love the antics of the loon, whose maple candy dish does not meet her expectations. When Raccoon discovers a fish in his gift box, the loon steals it and a chase ensues through the remaining pages. Paren'ts and teachers will readily sing Becker’s rhymes, and the chorus – part of which ends with a resounding “eh!” – encourages full listener participation.
Fiddles, horns, earmuffs, hockey pads, and fruitcake are swapped and enjoyed. When Porcupine finally opens a gift, everyone watches to see if it is the right one. What transpires is a nod to the first book–a surprise that even unites the loon and Raccoon. Dashing Through the Snow is a playful imagining of what Canadian creatures do on Christmas Eve, and it sure looks like fun.
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