Meowrr, Humbug! Grumpy Cat's First Worst Christmas by Christy Webster

"It's time for Christmas, Grumpy Cat! 'Tis the season to be jolly!" Happy Kitty says.

"'Tis the season to let me alone!" growls Grumpy Cat.

"Look! It's SNOWING!" Happy Kitty continues.

Perched on the mantle, where big, bright wooden letters spell out a cheery NOEL, his droopy eyelids at half mast, Grumpy Cat responds by pushing the E and L to the floor to spell out his disapproval.

NO!

But Happy Kitty bundles up and bounces outside to build a smiling snow cat. Grumpy Cat's snow sculpture has twiggy, beetling eyebrows and a familiar frown. But Happy Kitty is living in a wonderland of snow.

"I'd rather live in a Wonderland of NO!" grouches Grumpy Cat.

Then it's time to decorate the Christmas tree. Happy Kitty is in his element, but Grumpy Cat decorates his own little cactus and stealthily pushes Kitty's ornaments off onto the floor. While Happy Kitty suggests that it's time to wrap some presents, Grouchy Cat declares it's time to rip some presents. And when Christmas carolers come with their jolly FA LA LAS, Grumpy Cat has but one request:

"Silent Night!"

Happy Kitty gets into putting out cookies for Santa Claus, going on and on about what he might get for Christmas.

"All I want for Christmas is for it to be over," mutters Grouchy Cat.

While most of us are more than ready to make merry, Christmas grouches are not unknown in literature, and Grumpy Cat is in the company of some great ones--e. g., Dicken's Ebenezer Scrooge and Dr. Seuss's Grinch--and Christy Webster's frowning feline is firmly in that curmudgeonly tradition in her Grumpy Cat's First Worst Christmas (Grumpy Cat) (Big Golden Book) (Golden Books, 2017). Christmas deniers are usually a drag, but Webster's cantankerous cat's quips are actually quite clever, and in this story of an odd couple of cats, illustrator Steph Laboris sneakily adds sight gags of Grumpy Cat in the background, slyly shoving things off horizontal surfaces and generally putting the kabosh on Christmas cheer.

Based on those viral photos of a real cat, Grumpy has become the new comic strip character, joining the galaxy of quirky cartoon cat stars like Felix the Cat, Krazy Kat, Sylvester, and Garfield. Grumpy Cat's other stories include The Little Grumpy Cat that Wouldn't (Grumpy Cat) (Little Golden Book) and A Is for Awful: A Grumpy Cat ABC Book (Grumpy Cat) (Little Golden Book).

Casting Her Ballot: Amelia Bedelia's First Vote by Herman Parish

"WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?" THE NURSE ASKED.

"WE'RE HAVING AN ELECTION!" SAID AMELIA BEDELIA.

"I SEE," SAID NURSE SIMS. "WHAT ARE YOU RUNNING FOR?"

"THE OFFICE," SAID AMELIA BEDELIA.

"OF COURSE," SAID NURSE SIMS. "WHICH ONE?"

"THAT ONE!" SAID AMELIA BEDELIA, POINTING TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE.

In one of little Amelia Bedelia's continuing skirmishes with the idioms of the English language, grade one is having their first class election in Herman Parish's latest, Amelia Bedelia's First Vote (Greenwillow, 2012).

Why do we calling trying to get elected "running for an office?" Like many first graders, six-year-old Amelia Bedelia knows running is something not to be done in school, and the office is where you get sent if you misbehave or feel really sick. But it's a whole new ballgame when it is time to have a classroom vote, and as usual, Amelia Bedelia brings her own outspoken viewpoint energetically to the challenge.

Since there seems to be some confusion about this "running" in school, Amelia Bedelia's suggestion to the principal, Mr. K., is that the kids vote on school rules themselves. He agrees, but a tie follows, resulting in a runoff vote (no running allowed) between daily ice cream in the cafeteria, backed by Teddy, and homework-free Wednesday, backed by Amelia Bedelia. Two contentious parties emerge, and when recess rolls around, Amelia Bedelia takes on the opposition in the race directly--a race outside around the building--which results in another collision and another trip to see Nurse Sims.

"THAT RUN-OFF WAS MORE LIKE A RUN-OVER," SAID AMELIA.

But just then, a news flash comes in. Dawn, out sick for the day, sends a request for her make-up work and a message that her vote is on the side of homework-free Wednesdays, and Amelia Bedelia's party squeaks by with a marginal win on the basis of the absentee vote.

"CONGRATULATIONS, AMELIA BEDELIA!" SAID MR. K. "DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD?"

"I WILL... WHEN WE DO ARITHMETIC," SAID AMELIA BEDELIA.

Cheerily illustrated by Lynn Avril, this latest in the young Amelia Bedelia series provides an opportunity for young readers to begin learning the initially confusing lingo of elections--"running for office," "run-offs," and a "tie" (not the dreary ones Principal K. usually wears with his suits to work). Other "first-time" books in this spin-off series include Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School, Amelia Bedelia's First Field Trip, Amelia Bedelia's First Apple Pie, and Amelia Bedelia's First Valentine.

Back to School: Amelia Bedelia's First Day at School by Herman Parish

"Are you my teacher?" Amelia Bedelia asked.

"I am Mrs. O'Malley. I teach gym."

"Oh," said Amelia Bedelia.

"I am not Jim. I am Amelia Bedelia."

Who else but our Amelia Bedelia could have that conversation with a straight face. The perennially cheerful housekeeper for the Rogers family is back in a new sub-series from the hand of Herman Parish, nephew of her creator Peggy Parish, in which the young Amelia officially begins her comic battle with idioms and homophones. Here is the young student in her first conversation with her teacher.

"Hello there! My name is Miss Edwards. You must be Amelia!"

"How did you know?" asked Amelia Bedelia.

"Because you are my last tag," said Miss Edwards,

Amelia Bedelia started running. "You can't catch me," she yelled. "I'm too fast!"

"Come back!" said Miss Edwards, laughing. "We aren't playing tag! I have a nametag for you!"

Rollcall is a bit of a problem for this literal-minded girl as well.

"Amelia Bedelia?" said Miss Edwards.

"What?" said Amelia Bedelia.

"Not WHAT," said Miss Edwards. "HERE!"

"I hear you," said Amelia Bedelia.

"Good!" said Miss Edwards. "When you hear your name, say it."

"IT!" hollered Amelia Bedelia.

"It?" said her teacher. "Who is IT?"

"I will be IT," said Amelia Bedelia. "Can we play tag NOW?"

It's easy to see where this school day is going, but luckily her teacher has a bit more patience with her pupil than Amelia Bedelia's future boss Mrs. Rogers. In fact, Miss Edwards has the good grace to make a running joke out of their initial misunderstanding as she dismisses her student for the day.

"You'll have fun tomorrow," said Miss Edwards. "We are having an assembly."

"Hooray!" said Amelia Bedelia. "What are we building?"

"Memories," smiled Miss Edwards. Then she tapped Amelia Bedelia once.

"Tag! You're IT until tomorrow!"

Amelia Bedelia smiled. She couldn't wait until tomorrow.

Backed up by Lynne Avril's flowing illustrations and just in time for the back-to-school season, Herman Parish's new Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School (Greenwillow, 2009) is a great ice-breaker for the first day of school, with the added pedagogical opportunity for a lesson on active listening!