My son, 4, and I read this one last night and he loved it. Any book with an interactive method within the story really keeps him intrigued. Cocoa was such a fun character, especially being so cranky. The art style was so cute and the red pages with white type was a fun addition. This is definitely one we will purchase and read for Christmas's to come!

We loved this book! The kids enjoyed doing the activity on each page and choosing things for the dog to pick. Thanks for the book. We will recommend to friends for sure.

A fun and interactive children's book that is wonderful for Christmas. My only dislike is that it says holidays instead of Christmas.

I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e/copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book. My opinions are my own

Cocoa's Cranky Christmas is a wonderful short Christmas adventure for the entire family that will have everyone up on their feet, dancing around and making some Christmas cheer!

Though Cocoa's Cranky Christmas is a very short read (even by bedtime story standards) it is a fun and engaging story about spreading Christmas cheer and should not be passed up. The pictures about Cocoa's adventure in pursuit of Christmas joy are fun and colorful and the story's interactivity is unique! Sure to be a Christmas favorite for little ones!

A truly darling low-fi interactive Christmas book for young ones.

The charmingly rendered, grumpy protagonist, a pug-like dog named Cocoa, will delight young and old alike with his curmudgeonly attitude and facial expressions, and kids are sure to love the participatory element of the story that lets the reader help Cocoa get in the Christmas spirit.

The art is lovely and should appeal to youngsters and adult readers alike. Cocoa is a festive and terrific holiday read.

A fun interactive book perfect for the holidays!!! Try and cheer up a cranky dog with this fun book! This would make a great read for kids! Interactive and holiday themed, perfect for any elf this christmas!

This would be an excellent book for adults to read with their little ones. The actions will be fun for the kids and they will look forward to Cocoa's reactions. A perfect book to fill a stocking!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the DRC.

This book was received as an ARC from Thomas Nelson: CHILDREN'S in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was adorable to the max. Our children love those interactive board books and the illustrations are so eye-catchy and brilliantly done that they will definitely gravitate towards this book. Everyone will absolutely fall in love with Cocoa and relate to him well especially if they have a dog that is similar to Cocoa with his behavior and views on the Holidays. Even though this book is about a grumpy dog, this book will bring some holiday cheer to any household. I definitely will not only recommend this to our patrons but I just might get this book for my niece and nephew and I know they will love it.

We will consider adding this title to our Holiday Picture Book collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I am going to gush about this one because this has everything I would want out of a kids book! Cocoa's Cranky Christmas is an interactive read which really holds children's attention very well and makes them work on their listening skills. The pictures in this book are so fun and vibrant and are so fitting to the story line! This book is sure to get you and your kids in the holiday spirit. Run, Don't walk for this one!

This was a short and cute Christmas story. The interactive elements were a fun and engaging touch, sure to be a delight for kids. The illustration style and Cocoa were also adorable!

Omg this book was so funny ☺️🎄
The Christmas cheer is for everybody, dogs too...

It’s cute and funny to see how the book actually make you do things and see if it helps 🤗💕

My niece loved it 😍🙌🏻

Definitely an recommendation

Cocoa’s Cranky Christmas

This book was adorable. It got my kids up and moving and also in the fun Christmas Spirit! It’s short, and the illustrations are beautiful, so bright and cute.

We also have a dog and are big dog people, so it was perfect having a dog be the main character.

This is a great Christmas book to have fun with your little ones. I’d say it is great for kids ages 2-7.

Thank you for tagged publishers for sharing this one with my family and me.

This was such a fun read. My daughter is 6 and loves dogs and loves Christmas and she absolutely loved this interactive book. Fun, bright illustrations too.

This is an interactive holiday picture book. It's only a few pages long, and each page asks the child to do an action (that will bring back Cocoa the dog's joy).

The pictures are cute and amazing!!! Cocoa has so much personality. (Plus the graphic designer in me loves the medley of fonts that are used throughout the book... spot-on perfection!)

Cocoa’s Cranky Christmas is quite possibly the sweetest and most interactive children’s book I have seen in awhile.

My munchkins adored the illustrations and getting involved with the storyline.

This will be an instant holiday hit!

When December 24 approaches and the shops close. When sellers of Christmas trees sell the last Christmas trees. And they go home. Then comes the real magic of Christmas. Because it is, above all, a family holiday. A real special time for the children! There is no holiday that children look forward to more than Christmas. A time when the whole family is together and enjoys various activities. One of the most wonderful activities we can do with our little ones is reading, experiencing the magic in picture books and Cocoa's Cranky Christmas is an absolutely perfect choice for any family.
Not only does it capture that festive spirit and magic in an interesting way, but it also offers a range of interesting and interactive activities that your little one and the whole family will enjoy. The story of Cocoa is so uplifting and relatable, that in a very simple and so interesting and fun way it will keep the attention of your little one until the very end. This short Christmas storybook is filled with fun activities for the entire family. The illustrations are so appealing but the best Cocoa’s Cranky Christmas is how the book encourages readers to move about and act like they are in the story and will have everyone up on their feet, dancing around, barking jingle bells and making some unforgettable Christmas memories.
Our sweet grumpy protagonist, a pug-like dog named Cocoa is a great choice that shows that sometimes we feel under the weather and grumpy no matter how we are surrounded by all that festive atmosphere and magic. That a little attention, some fun game or activity is enough to make others around us happy. And I really liked that the main character is a pet who is presented as a member of the family. At this time when the abuse of pets, the treatment of pets as toys is really a big problem, we need such books that greatly contribute to raising awareness among children and developing empathy for animals.
Simple language structures, interesting activities and challenges and absolutely sweet illustrations are enough to make you take this story book and read it with your little one. And once you read it, believe me, this book will get a permanent place on your family bookshelf.

I thought that this was a fun interactive book

The illustrations are great and it was a fun story for me to read with my three year old.

She really enjoyed being able to get involved and thought that Cocoa was funny too.

I do enjoy books like this where she can use her imagination – 5 stars from me for this one!

What an interactive book for children especially at Christmas time when they are hyped up! The colors are bright and the activities are easy for the kids and parents to do together! I enjoyed reading this book by myself and then again with my friends five year old daughter. She laughed and giggled at the antics of the book upside down and walking across the room!

The author Thomas Nelson has done a superb job in keeping this simple, but entertaining!
I definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read not only for Christmas time, but you could read this book all year long because children are not going to care that its geared towards Christmas.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for my copy of Cocoa's Cranky Christmas by Thomas Nelson. It published October 20, 2020.
When I requested this, I didn't realize it was a book targeted toward much younger children than the ones I read this to, (8&6), but even so, they still enjoyed this book. This book is interactive and makes for a fun and unique reading experience. It is extremely cute and would make a wonderful gift!

This is such a cute Christmasy read for kids! They'll love getting involved trying to cheer Cocoa up!
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Cocoa’s Cranky Christmas was incredibly cute. The story was uplifting and relatable. Sometimes people feel cranky even though they are surrounded by Christmas and holiday joy. The illustrations were amazing but the great thing about Cocoa’s Cranky Christmas was how the book encourages the reader to move about and act like they are in the story and truly trying to cheer Cocoa up! My mother is a preschool teacher and I will absolutely be sharing this book with her.

Cocoa is cranky - can you help him get into the Christmas spirit? I LOVE this book! As children read the book, they are asked to do tasks such as "can you bark Jingle Bells?", so this become an interactive book, too. And the illustrations are adorable!! Not only I'm I going to buy this for our library, but also for my own collection.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

OMG, this book is the cutest!! I loved how bright and colorful it is. The interactive aspect is fun. Kids just love stories like that. Go out and get this!

This book is so fun!! We loved it! Cocoa is a cranky puppy so each page there’s something to do to try to make him not so cranky! We will definitely be reading this repeatedly and giving it as gifts!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Children’s for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
I read this to my 2 children and they chortled throughout. They adored grumpy Cocoa and asked me to read it through 3 times straight. If that isn’t an endorsement then I don’t know what is! Thumbs up from us. Would make a lovely Christmas gift I think.

An interactive book for children as they try and cheer up Cocoa! It will get your kids moving and giggling as they bark out Jingle Bells and do several other fun activities.

Fun and interactive book! Kids will definitely love this book and cheering up cocoa. Will make a great gift for kids.

Cocoa is cranky & what can the reader do to help? A lot! This interactive book is charming and engaging! Kids are encouraged to do different activities to get Cocoa to stop being cranky. The kids loved reading this one and I highly recommend it.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
The illustrations in this book were cute, and I loved the varying perspectives. The artist really used the full page, and it was an excellent combination of illustration and text. It was a humorous story about a cranky dog set at Christmas time.

Many try to recreate the joy found in the book Press Here. There have been many imitators, and this is one of them. The book asks the reader to do various things to help cheer up a crank Cocoa. This dog has a grump complex and it will take all readers to bring on the happy. A fun story for the holidays or even anytime.

My 8 year old boys loved this one. They laughed their butts off throughout the whole book. It will be a book added to something we read yearly at Christmas time

Cocoa's cranky christmas is such a cute book. I love how it is so interactive. Kids will love participating in this fun Christmas story to make cocoa feel better.

This is such an adorable, interactive little Christmas read.

Cocoa's cranky and he needs a bit of help getting in the Christmas spirit - from the kids! Turn the book upside down, clap, sing and so many other things to cheer up Cocoa!

Adorable, vibrantly illustrated, a beautiful gift for Christmas!

5/5 stars

Genre: Children's Fiction

Description:

This silly interactive holiday story features a grumpy dog who is not ready for Christmas. Follow the directions to clap, sing, and find the doggy cookies to try to cheer up Cocoa in time for Christmas Eve in this funny board book.

Cocoa’s Cranky Christmas is perfect for active toddlers and preschoolers who will love participating in the story encouraging kids to embrace the Christmas season with joy and laughter fans of Press Here, There’s a Monster in Your Book, and There’s an Elf in Your Booka stocking stuffer, Advent gift, or Christmas morning surprise reading aloud, and laughing along, at story time and bedtime

With a glittered cover, zany minimalist art by Beth Hughes, and a good helping of silly antics, this delightful Christmas book for 2 to 6-year-olds will capture your littlest readers' imaginations and put them in the Christmas spirit.

Pros:

- Cute Artwork
- Really cute book idea.
- Super engaging for young kids. My Bonus Daughter (8) wasn't super into it but the little one i babysit (5) was. She asked me to read it multiple times.

Cons:

- None. It's a super cute, wholesome book.

Would I recommend it?

Yes.

This book is really pretty and funny. Is perfect for the kids to have a good time reading it. The images are so cute and pretty.
The story is cute, funny and entertaining, good to read on a Christmas evening with the kids anda have a good time.
I really enjoyed it.
Thank you for the copy

So cute!

This was such a cute and fun holiday book. I really enjoyed Cocoa and cannot wait to share this story with my child.

It is a very entertaining novel to read to children at Christmas time. the spirit is felt in the air when recounting it

Prose (Story): Christmas is coming, and Cocoa is in no mood. This board book for little ones brings kids directly into the story, as on each page there is a suggestion on what they can do to help bring Cocoa out of his funk. But Christmas is close - will there be time? And what will it take to cheer Cocoa up at last?

Don's (Review): Cocoa, for real, is the Ebenezer Scrooge of irascible dogs here, the look on his face saying it all: he is so NOT in the mood for Christmas. In funny, full-page artwork, author Hughes has created a grumpy fur-baby seemingly determined to Bah Humbug his way through the holiday, but the terrific interactive feature of the story should have kids shouting, singing, jumping up and down, clapping - anythng it takes to bring a smile to Cocoa's cranky counetenance in time for Santa. In the meantime, the illustrations of Cocoa alone make it worth flippng the pages, even for adults; this dog is a hoot! 4/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book! My kids loved how funny and silly it was! We will be purchasing a hard copy for next Christmas.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book and a chance to read and review it. What a lovely children's story and it also had wonderful artwork throughout! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with young children!

This book was absolutely precious!!! One of my favorite books as a child was "The Monster at the End of this Book" because turning the pages actually made me feel like I was part of the story. This book has the same vibe and is done in an adorably creative way. I smiled all the way through reading it.

The illustrations are fantastic. The concept is super cute. This is a fun, feel-good book kids and parents will love.

If you are looking for a Christmas present for a family with young kids, you can't go wrong with this book. It was amazing. Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!

I received a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun interactive Christmas book. I liked that it works well for a read aloud without having kids actually touch the book. I wish there was a little more to the ending it felt abrupt. Overall a fun book though.

I so wish we read this during the holiday season! A short and sweet Christmas book that my kids loved. It was entertaining, interactive, and Cocoa the dog was adorable. My 6 year old was able to read the book herself and my 4 year old enjoyed following some of the directions. I’d recommend this to family and friends, it l would be a great addition to any children’s holiday library!

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

This is a cute interactive Christmas book. I think that kids will love having the interaction with the dog and helping him find his Christmas cheer.

Cocoa's Cranky Christmas is a perfect book for a busy toddler. The book is very colorful and Cocoa is an adorable character to follow. Each page will instruct the reader to do something to help make Cocoa happy. Though my kids are older now, this would have been a daily read for the interactive features. Great picture book!

Cocoa's Cranky Christmas is a lovely interactive book. I read it to my 4 year old son and we both loved it. The story is simple to follow for the little ones and the illustrations are really effective.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy.

Cocoa’s Cranky Christmas by Thomas Nelson is a cute Christmas book I think my granddaughter would love it. I will read it to her on Christmas and see if she likes it.

This was a cute interactive book that asks kids to do different things to cheer Cocoa up. The story was surprisingly short, but it would be perfect for the short attention spans of pre-K kiddos or even younger. This would be a great title to add to a Christmas library.

Super fun interactive picture book.
Such a cute picture book to share with little ones, especially the Christmas season is near.

This is a very cute children's book. I think it would be a fun one to read in a kindy/preschool room. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

Cute, fun, interactive kids book that is perfect to help Cocoa the dog get into the holiday spirit. This would be a fun book for younger kids as it is short, but fun.

Cocoa’s Cranky Christmas is a children’s book produced by Thomas Nelson.

Summary: Cocoa is one cranky dog and only YOU can cheer him up. This interactive Christmas book engages the reader and encourages them to try different things to help Cocoa regain his Christmas cheer-including everything from treats, to turning him upside down!

My Thoughts: This is a fun book. It is filled with bright colors and cute graphics. Silly and imaginative-this is a good one for kids, especially if they love dogs. My son definitely enjoyed it.

I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

such an adorable book! this would definitely be a great book to read with a kid as they would likely enjoy the interactive aspect. it had a really fun story with adorable illustrations!

What a lovely, fun book with a great message too! It's an interactive book as it has some joyful activities to do that will put a smile to your face. We really enjoyed it!

I love that this is an interactive children's book! This one would definitely be a great gift or great to use for classroom and library Storytime!

Thanks for this fun one to recommend NetGalley!

This was a super fun board book! Festive, interactive and very relatable! What an awesome book for small kiddos! The illustrations were fun and the grump faces were spot on.

Adorable!!! My 2 and 4 year old really enjoyed this! Got them very excited just before bed. Definitely a book I would read over and over with them. The art work was very eye catching with its beautiful colours

This was SUCH a cute kid's book. It's an interactive story (i.e., "Try clapping your hands!"), which I think will really keep children's attention and help with listening and motor skills. I thought the art style was super lively and cute as well. One complaint I have is that I wish it was just a little bit longer. Even for a children's book, it felt extremely short. I also don't know how I feel about Cocoa only cheering up when he gets a present. I feel like something more meaningful, like having a child hug the book to cheer him up or something, could have been a nicer message. I know it's all just fun and games, but it stuck out to me. Regardless, it was very cute and I would recommend it for the kiddos in your life.


Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cocoa is a grumpy puppy! Kids have fun going through the book to make Cocoa happy and get into the Christmas spirit. My 5 almost 6 yr old thought this was a fun book but it was maybe made for an even younger age kids. Very cute though and made my kid smile.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. All spelling and grammar errors are totally my own.

Cocoa's Cranky Christmas is so cute. Its an interactive story for kids. Can you cheer up cranky Cocoa?

Cocoas Cranky Christmas is a funny, short, and very interactive tail made to capture the hearts of the whole family. This is a great read for the preschool classroom as well or any family with small children.

Aimed at 2 to 6-year-olds, this is the story of a dog named Cocoa, who is feeling grumpy and missing his Christmas Joy. Cocoa needs help to get his Joy back, and who better than young children to help?

From making silly faces, to taking Cocoa for a walk to the other side of the room, this is a story meant to involve young readers in an interactive way, including singing Christmas carols, doggy cookies, and more. Imaginative and very colorfully illustrated, the suggested silly shenanigans meant to cheer Cocoa up will likely have the whole family smiling by the end.



Published: 20 Oct 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Thomas Nelson: CHILDREN’S

<i>arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

This was such an adorable, interactive read! I knew as soon as I saw the bulldog on the cover that I needed this in my life and it was everything I could’ve wanted! I wish I had had this book as a kid.

We follow Cocoa as the reader needs to find a way to get him into the Christmas spirit. I loved that this book interacts with the reader! Kids are going to have a blast playing and reading along with this story. It’s simple but a ton of fun.

This would make an excellent Christmas gift!

5/5⭐️

This is a wonderfully interactive book for toddlers and preschoolers. Cocoa the dog is in a grumpy mood, and the reader has to do every thing suggested in the story to make Cocoa happy once again. The activities suggested are bound to result in loads of giggles and fun family time. the illustrations are beautiful too. If you are looking for a cute and silly book to have some Christmassy fun with your little one, this book is perfect.

This was a super cute interactive book about a cranky dog at Christmas time! I loved the interactive aspect, and the art was awesome! I thought it was a perfect book for the holiday season.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This book made me wish I had little ones!

Cocoa's Cranky Christmas is an adorable, interactive story for young children, as it will get them up moving and singing. This is the perfect Christmas book for parents to read to their children.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the advance digital reading copy of this book.

This was a really fun, interactive book to help kids get in the Christmas spirit. With bright, colorful illustrations, and silly instructions to get your child moving this holiday season, what more could you want?

This book about a cranky dog during Christmas was great for my 6 year old. He enjoyed the engagement component of the story (even if some of it was irrelevant due to being an e-copy instead of an actual book). The imagery was appealing and the story was short and sweet!

Cocoa's Cranky Christmas was a really cute class read-aloud, perfect for the days before holiday break when the kids are itching to get up and move. Not only is it engaging with a sweet message (you don't needs treats or presents to feel happy, having fun is more than enough!) but it's a great conversation starter for how to help a friend who may be feeling down. The pictures were fun to look at and the text per page was just right. My preschoolers loved it, and so did my own elementary aged children. Adding this one to the permanent Christmas collection for sure.

Super cute book! My kiddos loved me reading this to them! Excited for the opportunity to take a look at this via netgalley!

This is a fun and interactive children’s story that is perfect for the holiday season!

Cocoa the puppy doesn’t have any holiday cheer. Little ones can follow the instructions in the book such as singing to Cocoa in hopes of cheering him up. My 3 year old thought this was very funny and I thought it was adorable!

I received this ebook from Netgalley.

This is a cute book. All the dog lover get ready!
Cocoa is so cranky. Can you follow this interactive book to help turn his frown upside down?

I love the interaction that gets children evolved. It also teach to follow directions. So if you have a classroom that is learning about following directions perhaps you could read this one to your children. It is a fun and at times silly book.

I was given a copy of this book for my honest review via NetGalley.

This is my 4.5 yr old's favorite book this holiday season. I honestly can't tell you how many times we have read this book as a family, and I personally keep enjoying it overtime. If you are looking for an amazing book to add to your child's holiday book collection, this is a definite winner.

Cocoa is not in the Christmas spirit at all! He is one cranky little puppy and he needs your help to cheer him up! This book is interactive and has children do simple activities such as picking out a Christmas cookie, singing a song, and turning the book upside down in order to lift cranky Cocoa's spirits. This is a fun little Christmas story that families can play and laugh at together.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

This was a fun book to read with my 4 year old twin grandchildren. Nice pictures and story that had them giggling
and then the words you always want to hear at the end of the book... "Read it again." We are enjoying this fun little
story.

Cocoa's Cranky Christmas is a wonderful interactive Christmas book to bring holiday joy and cheer!

I think this is a wonderfully unique book that really stood out to me! Not only are the illustrations fun, but the idea of having an interactive book where you make faces at it and goof around? That's awesome! I really like it and think it's an excellent addition to any little one's book shelf.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Pretty cute book, really like the art, not a quiet time book tho lmao

THis was the cutest interactive Christmas book I have seen in a long time, if ever like this. This is the perfect book and gift for first christmas presents. All little ones need to have a book to teach them to interact with the characters and to learn to love the characters in a book, Every kid will fall in love with Cocca and try to make him happy by doing the movements on each page. I have a new grandson coming and I cannot wait to buy this book for him for his first Christmas next year. I will also be getting this book to put in our school library. THanks for allowing me the free copy to read

We absolutely love interactive books and this one is hilarious with kids trying to get Cocoa, the grumpy little dog, in a better mood!

Sometimes Christmas can get the best of all of us. Cocoa is just having a rough time and feels cranky despite the joy of the holiday. Each page of the story has the child participate in helping Cocoa cheer up by turning the book and other interactions. My little boy loves books like that which engage him actively. The illustrations are adorable - depicting Cocoa's struggle perfectly! Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, so don't read this book to your kids when they are tired and cranky, because they won't want to participate at all. I thought this was a fun board book with some interactive stuff to do to try and cheer up Cocoa. The included things like making a silly face, barking jingle bells, clapping your hands and turning the book upside down. The next day, the 4 year old loved this story and joined in with her little brother having fun. We actually had to read it two more times, so, definitely as fun as I thought it would be. The illustrations are awesome and I love the expressions on Cocoa's face. My granddaughter kept changing his name and calling him the name of her aunt's dog instead.

Love this book! Almost makes me wish my kids were little again so I could read this story to them over and over. Yup. This one is going to be one that will be read many times over the holidays and for years to come.
I received an advanced reader copy for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. this is a children's fiction book. It is a fun, silly interactive book. It is cute, and colorful and is about cranky Cocoa, the dog! It made my 29 year old daughter giggle. I read it to her! 4 stars. I think most kids would enjoy.

Cocoa's Cranky Christmas by Thomas Nelson is absolutely charming. It follows the adventures of an adorable pug dog, Cocoa, who is trying but keeps failing to find the Christmas spirit.

He tries all the things and finally finds a solution! The book will keep little ones engaged with the colorful illustrations and interactive ways the book encourages you to read it. You are advised to clap, turn, and shake the book and much more! My almost four year old was laughing wildly!

I loved this sweet book and I think I can relate to Cocoa too! Finding the Christmas spirit is not automatic! Your kids will reach for the Cocoa book again and again.

Plus, outside of Christmas the ideas work well if your kids (or you) are feeling a little cranky! It is never to early to teach calm down strategies.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Thomas Nelson Publishing in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

While Christmas is usually a happy moment to celebrate, but not for Cocoa. What should kids do to make him happy? This is a very interesting book to initiate kids to read, knowing how difficult nowadays to make them. You can imagine having a dog and your kids should do things to make Cocoa happier.

Is there anyone who CAN’T relate to Cocoa’s holiday-induced crankiness?! I know I can!

This book is such an enjoyable read! The illustrations are very colorful and eye catching, and the prompts throughout the story are super fun!

This book will be a very welcome addition of my family’s collection of Christmas books! I just know my boys are going to love it!

Cocoa’s Cranky Christmas is gepubliceerd door Thomas Nelson. Dit is een christelijke uitgeverij die ook kinderboeken uitgeeft. Het verhaal is geïllustreerd door Beth Hughes, een jonge Amerikaanse illustrator, die zo gek is op dieren dat ze als vrijwilliger ging werken in een asiel zodra ze daar oud genoeg voor was. Geen wonder dat ze graag aan de slag ging met dit verhaal over een hond die helemaal geen goede zin heeft met kerst en hoogstnodig opgevrolijkt moet worden.

Cocoa’s Cranky Christmas gaat helemaal los met de alliteratie. Slim, want met die drie harde c’s is de titel automatisch fijn om hardop uit te spreken en blijft hij langer hangen. En Cocoa als een soort Scrooge is natuurlijk ook een goed idee. Zo zit er ook een beetje ‘bite’ in het verhaal en niet alleen maar lieve zoetigheid.

Ik vind de focus op Cocoa, de felle kleuren en altijd rode, bijna lege achtergrond zeer geslaagd. Deze werkwijze levert mooie, heldere illustraties op. Elke tekening ziet eruit als een kerstkaart. Het boek heeft opdrachten voor de lezers om Cocoa op te vrolijken die grappig zijn om te doen. Precies het soort gekke dingen waar kinderen van houden, zoals een kerstlied blaffen, op andere manieren lawaai maken en lekker bewegen. Zo is het heel geschikt voor kinderen die niet stil kunnen zitten.

Cocoa’s Cranky Christmas is een geslaagd boek, mede vanwege de bijna minimalistische tekenstijl en omdat het zo interactief is. Het speelt met het idee dat de lezers de stemming van Cocoa kunnen beïnvloeden. Heel leuk verzonnen en uitgevoerd. Ik vermoed dat dit boek een groot succes zal zijn onder kinderen.

This lovely Christmas story is just perfect. Reading it together will make your kid get active and really be part of the story. This with the combination of Cocoa's appearence and the beautifull drawings makes this a really atractive book for children. It's everything a children's book should be - it brings fun, spreads the love of reading and makes it a familiy moment for parents and children. Perfect to read together when Christmas is comming.