In the fourth installment of author and illustrator Anu D. Misa’s ELLA SAYS series, young Ella’s Christmas takes a turn when she comes across a flyer that tells her the local shelter, Fluffy Puppies Rescue, is in danger of closing down. Ready to head to her grandpa’s for Christmas, Ella and her brother decide to hand over a large chunk of their allowances to the shelter before spending Christmas with their family. Later, as the house bustles with Christmas activity, the children secretly plot to do more for the shelter, grabbing a little help along the way from their friends and their own pets. They eventually settle on a food drive, setting up a community party that raises money to keep Fluffy Puppies Rescue in operation. Naturally, as her event takes off, Ella ends up in front of the TV cameras.
As is the case for many children’s books, one of the main draws here is the truly beautiful illustration. With a cartoony look that absolutely drips with the colors and feel of the season, Ella is a cutesy avatar-like character with a charmingly oversized head. Her surroundings, crowded with Christmas decor, snow, and other happy-looking characters, are nicely varied in their presentation, giving each page the feeling of a considered, playful piece of art. The travel pages, and those based heavily on Christmas decor, particularly enthrall. At times the text feels almost like a side aspect of the book, but it does have important messages: coming together, caring for animals, and using the season for giving—as opposed to the general commercial, gift-heavy focus.
At the end, readers are offered some nice straightforward kids activities (e.g., a word search), the opportunity to donate to animal charities, and a brief introduction to Ella’s wider world—which includes teachers’ activities, an ambitious book glancing at Ella’s life goal of being an astronaut, and another story about strength in difference. Overall, it’s clear that Misa has identified a positive way of addressing children. Her books are fun, accessible, and incorporate both open-mindedness and positivity into story time. This secular Christmas-themed text, in which the bulk of the story is no more than three dozen pages, serves up quickfire easy-reading. It’s perfect for bedtime, and would make a gorgeous addition to a Christmas stocking for a child aged from 3 and 6.
Written and beautifully illustrated by Anu D. Misa, ELLA SAYS: Let’s Have a Giving Christmas is a charming book for older preschoolers and early year school kids, putting a traditional and anti-commercial spin on Christmas with a focus on giving.
~James Hendicott for IndieReader