About the Book:
Title: Comet The Unstoppable Reindeer
Author/Illustrator: Jim Benton
Pub. Date: September 15, 2020
Beagles and Books is excited to be part of the blog tour for Comet The Unstoppable Reindeer. Special thanks to Two Lions and Barbara Fisch of Blue Slip Media for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Review:
After breaking up an elf fight (tensions rise when elves don’t get a day off), Comet is sporting a sling and cast. And to make matter worse, the doctor grounds him from his annual Christmas ride with Santa. Poor Comet is feeling pretty down and alone but then realizes Santa forgot his sack of toys. It’s 2020 so he calls Santa’s cell but with all the noise, Santa doesn’t answer.
Comet tries to lift the bag but it’s way too heavy. Attempts using a lever and a hoist are unsuccessful. Comet feels defeated until he reads a sweet letter from a boy who asks for a pig on a bike for his little sister. After seeing that toy at the top of the sack, Comet is now determined to deliver it to the bright yellow house with a bright blue roof.
Circling the world, Comet searches for the house and realizes that flying and delivering gifts is a true skill. He has to battle chimneys, minivans, geese and hard landings. Riddled with scrapes, limps, pains, and lumps, Comet is distraught. How will he ever find the little boy’s house?
With a hilarious rhyming text, I laughed out loud after reading each page. Benton did a fabulous job of keeping the plot moving with each stanza. Comet’s positive traits of helpfulness, diligence, perseverance, and empathy shined through both in the text and bold and energetic cartoon illustrations. Comet’s feelings are very evident from looking at his expressions. I especially loved the illustrations showing how moved Comet was when he read the little boy’s letter and later, finally figured out the location of his house (spoiler, but hey, Christmas stories must have a happy ending).
If you are looking for a humorous holiday book with a feel good message, look no further than Comet The Unstoppable Reindeer. Looking forward to sharing it as a read aloud next week with my students!
About the Author/Illustrator:
Jim Benton is the award-winning creator of the New York Times bestselling series Dear Dumb Diary and Franny K. Stein as well as the popular It’s Happy Bunny brand. His books have sold more than fifteen million copies in twenty-five countries and have garnered numerous honors. Like Comet, Jim knows what it’s like to hobble around in a cast; however, he is still learning to fly. Find out more about him at JimBenton.com.
Giveaway!
One lucky winner will receive a copy of Comet The Unstoppable Reindeer courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. addresses only). This giveaway is open from Friday, December 11, 2020 through Friday, December 17, 2020 ending at 10:00 p.m. EST. Please note that book may take longer to ship so patience is appreciated. Enter below or head over to my Twitter account, @lauramossa and retweet my Comet The Unstoppable Reindeer blog tour post.
Like Jack, Gretel, and Hansel (#girlpower Gretel), Red does questions some of the narrator’s directions remarking “You’re sending a child carrying a giant basket, into the woods, ALL ALONE? After the narrator answers with a simple yes, Red agrees stating “You’re in charge!” But I wonder for how long?
Well, not long because on the very next page spread, Red is now wearing her little sister’s blue cape to Grandma’s. And on her way to Grandma’s, she meets up with the Big Bad Wolf…wait…I mean..Captain Hook. It turns out the the wolf is sick which does not make the narrator happy.
Still trusting, Red continues following the narrator’s directions as she journeys to Grandma’s but Captain Hook is not feeling it. “I did not agree to people–eatin,” he says. Pirates are all about stealing loot which is why he continually conflicts with the narrator. When Red finally gets to Grandma’s, you can imagine the antics that ensue especially when Pinocchio fills in for the woodsman to rescue her from the Big Bad Wolf…oops..Captain Hook. And it’s NOT a Funk & Taylor fairy tale unless a character opens a restaurant serving fairy tale creatures.
I am always smiling and laughing after reading Funk and Taylor’s hilarious parody of a classic fairy tale. One of the highlights was the lively exchanges between Red and the narrator because he always told the truth and while she questioned his directions, she was still willing to follow them. What I also loved about It’s Not Little Red Riding Hood is the decision to have other fairy tale characters stand in the original characters. Captain Hook acted like himself, not the Wolf which made the story more humorous and a more fun read aloud.
Last November, the second grade class I read to for #classroombookaday, had the immense pleasure of hosting Josh Funk for an author visit where we not only got a sneak peek at It’s Not Little Red Riding Hood, but also Josh, the classroom teacher, and me engaged in a reader’s theater of taking on the voices of the narrator, Red, and Captain Hook which was such fun. I mean, come on…who doesn’t want to talk like a pirate?
I am in awe of Funk’s witty and playful writing and Taylor’s bold and engaging illustrations literally leap off the page. And kids love searching for cameos of other fairy tale characters throughout the book. Kids always ask which fairy tale will be next in the series as do I. My fingers (and Bella’s paws) are crossed that there are more It’s Not a Fairytale adventures to come!
About the Author:
Like the characters in his books, Josh Funk doesn’t like being told how stories should go—so he writes his own. He is the author of many popular picture books, including the popular Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, illustrated by Brendan Kearney, and the It’s Not a Fairytale books, illustrated by Edwardian Taylor. He lives in New England with his family. Learn more about him at 
It’s Not a Fairytale Series Giveaway!
Two Lions is offering all three books in the It’s Not a Fairytale series–It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk, It’s Not Hansel and Gretel, and It’s Not Little Red Riding Hood to one lucky winner (U.S. addresses). Giveaway begins Friday, October 23, 2020 and ends at 10 p.m. Friday, October 30, 2020. You can enter below or retweet my Twitter post.
Beagles & Books 