In Amber & Davina Bernardi-Kim’s delightful children’s book CHRISTMAS LAND, a young girl named Davina travels to a magical world in her dreams and learns that she is heiress to a winter kingdom. She arrives in Christmas Land after clutching her grandmother’s purple heart necklace as she falls asleep and is greeted by Pink Bear, who tells her the kingdom has been in danger since Davina’s mom, the previous queen, left the realm. The Evil Knight has been controlling the kingdom since the queen’s departure, and Davina is tasked with traversing the now-troubled land to retrieve her mother’s pink heart necklace from him. What ensues is a darling adventure of love over fear as Davina discovers the truth behind her mother’s bedtime stories.
The cute rhymes Davina repeats from her mother’s repertoire of unusual sayings make magic happen in the world. Davina pieces together their meaning, realizing that her mother’s somewhat random catchphrases have purpose. The loving connection between mother and daughter is heartwarming when these singsong phrases are put into context, but it is jarring and unrealistic to imagine a mother saying “Oh, pink and purple heart pendants blend when passed to a descendant” to her daughter without causing the child unwitting confusion. The rest of the book’s fantasy elements merge seamlessly into the setting; sticky white chocolate snow that slows peoples’ movements and a magical truth serum called “open heart tea” are endearing inclusions that add dimension to the world-building. The story moves at a steadily brisk pace with many entertaining side-journeys that show the vastness of the unique world while remaining close to the main plot.
As the story’s heroine, Davina is likable and sweet. Her curiosity and bravery drive her actions. She desires to learn more about the world the women in her family have ruled, and she is willing to face up to a dangerous foe, the Evil Knight, in order to protect it. The Pink Bear is Davina’s charming White Rabbit, teaching her about the realm’s landscape and inhabitants as he leads her through it. While the Evil Knight does not appear all that evil, simply a villain because he has taken the throne without inheriting it and has created the sticky snow, he and the other minor characters feel like real beings who are inseparable from their tangible environment.
The book’s illustrations are adorable, if unrefined, and feature saturated colors and a wintery atmosphere. They accurately mirror the events that occur in the story. Davina’s face in each image is bright and expressive, showing a range of emotions that reflect the dangers and excitements of her journey.
With a likable heroine and an alluring wintery setting, CHRISTMAS LAND by Amber & Davina Bernardi-Kim is a fun adventure and an endearing tale of family destiny in a unique and interesting world.
~Aimee Jodoin for IndieReader