Dasher Can't Wait for Christmas

August 28, 2023
A reindeer too impatient to wait for Christmas Eve experiences adventure in Tavares’s suspenseful sequel to Dasher. With only one sleep to go before Christmas Eve, Dasher the reindeer investigates what sounds like Christmas carols. “I’ll be back before they even know I’m gone,” she says with confidence before flying off, locating people of various skin tones lifting their voices in a town covered with Christmas lights. But a blizzard keeps Dasher from using the North Star to find her way home, and she stops in front of a strange house. A tender encounter with a pale-skinned child sets the animal on the right path—in the nick of time. In art that makes the most of landscapes, Taveres offers narrative tension (“Tonight is Christmas Eve! You’ve got to get home”), personal stakes (“She was exhausted. And hungry”), and all the picturesque snow that a holiday story requires. Ages 4–8.

September 1, 2023

PreS-Gr 3-A young reindeer named Dasher cannot wait until Christmas Eve. The night before, she hears music that reminds her of Christmas carols and decides to explore. When gliding through the night sky, Dasher spies some dazzling Christmas lights on the horizon and soon approaches a small town. Charming houses are decorated for the holiday, and an enormous tree in the center of town is trimmed with colorful lights and topped with a twinkling star that reaches towards the sky. Eventually, Dasher knows she should head back, but she cannot locate the North Star through the falling snow. After a while, the hungry and exhausted doe rests near a little Christmas tree in a front yard and wonders how she'll get back to the North Pole in time to fly with Santa and the other reindeer. Only a special act of kindness will assist in her return. This story is another adventure for Dasher, and it does not disappoint. Her excitement for Christmas Eve is almost childlike; instead of counting down the days until Christmas, Dasher counts the number of "sleeps" left. The illustrations may appear simple, but they are not to be underestimated. The reindeer look incredibly authentic. Dasher displays subtle expressions, from inquisitive, to exhausted, and then grateful as she leaves her helper. Children of all ages will enjoy this special story for years to come. VERDICT A must-have for the holidays.-Barbara Spiri

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2023
Tavares returns with another Christmas treat for readers. Building on the success of Dasher (2019), which shared the origin story behind one of Santa Claus' flying reindeer, this latest offering revisits the young doe. Fairly bursting with anticipation, Dasher can't wait for Christmas. Each night, she looks forward to pulling Santa's sleigh. The night before Christmas Eve, she can't sleep, so she leaves the North Pole. Unfortunately, Christmas lights catch her eye as she flies through the night sky, and she ends up getting lost. Just as children helped her out of a bad situation in the prior book, a child comes to Dasher's aid in this story, too. Dasher makes it back to the North Pole and is reunited with Santa and the rest of the reindeer--and just in time to deliver presents. What goes around comes around, and Dasher puts a plan into action to thank the helpful child. This happy ending fits the book's overall gentle, celebratory tone, which is enhanced by painterly digital illustrations in a realistic style that somehow feels simultaneously nostalgic and current. Santa and the child are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Christmas-book lovers should dash to add this one to their shelves. (Picture book. 3-6)

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November 1, 2023
First introduced in Dasher (rev. 11/19), the titular character returns in a new holiday adventure that conveys the spirit of the season. Dasher loves "seeing the Christmas lights from high above" on Christmas Eve while flying Santa's sleigh. Too excited to wait as Christmas Eve approaches, she follows the sound of Christmas carols, but then can't find the North Star to guide her home. Luckily, a child kindly lends her a compass to get her back to the North Pole just in time. While Tavares has switched to a digital style for this sequel, the illustrations still maintain a rich, realistic quality featuring mainly cool hues that are just right for a cozy nighttime read. Cynthia K. Ritter

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)