Christmas With Rita and Whatsit - Hardcover

Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod was born in Bordeaux, France. He is a teacher, editor, and the author of many books for children and adults. He lives in the suburbs of Paris.

Olivier Tallec has illustrated numerous children's books. He lives in Paris.

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Rita and her not-very-doglike dog spend Christmas Eve writing letters to Santa, decorating their trees (the pup's is covered with sausages, salami, and bologna), creating a unique snack for Santa and the reindeer, and performing a special concert. A noise in the night causes Whatsit to bark madly (because sometimes he does act like a dog). Has he scared away Santa before he could make his delivery? Don't be silly. There is, of course, the obligatory &awww... moment at the end. Pen and ink vignettes highlighted with splotches of red and the small format make this best suited to one-on-one sharing. An endearing, but additional, package.–Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library END