In the spirit of the lyrics to Jingle Bells, this is a cute illustrated holiday book written in verse. It also introduces readers to Christmas customs in other cultures, although the information is very simplistic. ( )

The beautiful illustrations makes this this well known Christmas song into a wonderful story. I love the art of Iza Trapani. ( )

With verses written to the tune of the classic song Jingle Bells, the reader follows two children as they travel the world in a sleigh through a growing snowstorm. Along the way they observe holiday traditions in many countries including Mexico, Sweden, Kenya, and more. The children return home with a sleighful of new friends just in time to celebrate.

The Bottom Line: This sweet holiday tale is filled with colorful, festive watercolors. The story puts a spotlight on celebrating diversity, making it perfect for school or library story times. Trapani has also thoughtfully included a page describing Christmas traditions in the featured countries and a page with the music and words to Jingle Bells.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. ( )