If Mice Pulled the Sleigh
The amusing Christmas picture book If Mice Pulled the Sleigh is a feast of wit and imagination.
Bill Barnsley’s If Mice Pulled the Sleigh is a rollicking Christmas-themed picture book that imagines what would happen if other animals replaced the reindeer that drive Santa’s sleigh.
If mice pulled Santa’s sleigh, the book supposes, the flight would be grounded because they’re not strong enough. Cats would not be able to agree on a direction, dogs would be distracted by the wind on their faces, and elephants would fall right through people’s roofs. After testing out snakes and ducks, too, Santa reckons it would be best to stick to tried-and-true methods, using reindeer to pull his sleigh on Christmas Eve.
The animals display behaviors typical to their species in the wintry sleigh environment, which offers ample fodder for humor. Cats play with the jingle bells while dogs whine for a walk in the park; ducks land the sleigh in a pond, soaking the presents. Playful language bolsters the book’s hilarity, as do rhetorical questions about where to fasten the reins to a snake and exclamatory commentary like “I cannot imagine!” and “Oh, what a disaster!” The rhyme scheme is immersive and joyful, bouncing along as the ducks fly in a V and the cats ignore Santa’s orders. Imagined personality differences are used to compare and contrast the animals, with the mice and elephants working hard despite their faults, cats napping instead of working, and snakes causing pure chaos.
Reflective of the entertaining text, the bright illustrations depict the animals’ attempts at flying the sleigh on a starry winter night. The cartoonish creatures leap and bound across the pages with animated expressions and a keen sense of movement. A snake sleeping after having swallowed a large present and Santa holding an umbrella to protect himself from “elephant-sized poops” are imaginative touches. Santa’s fear and exasperation are evident on his wide-eyed, flushed face until his final test with the reindeer offers him relief.
An amusing Christmas picture book about animals less prepared for sleigh-driving than reindeer, If Mice Pulled the Sleigh is a feast of wit and imagination.
Reviewed by
Aimee Jodoin
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
