Goldsworthy and Mort in Holiday Hijinks

Elizabeth St. Jacques is the author of Echoes All Strung Out and
Survivors: The Great Depression, 1929-1939.

This book’s bright-red glossy cover with its inset of a full-color
illustration is bound to catch any young child’s attention. Right off,
you know that these charming animal characters, dressed like people and
thumbing through a photo album at Christmastime, are Goldsworthy and
Mort. And because of their long, pointed noses and zany appearance, you
know they’re going to show you a jolly good time.

Goldsworthy and Mort romp through their comical paces in two stories
here. In “Christmas Gift Catastrophe,” when they make gifts for each
other, the results are less than perfect (and that’s putting it
mildly). If only they had something better to give! But surprise: the
gifts are exactly what each one wanted (albeit for different reasons).
This is a delightfully funny story with subtle lessons about genuine
friendship and appreciation.

In “On Vacation,” Goldsworthy and Mort are totally bored with their
daily activities and environment, so they fly off to visit “new and
exciting places” around the world. Unfortunately, each packs for a
very different climate, so the results are hilarious. In the end, home
is really “the best place in the whole wide world.”

Marcia Vaughan tells a truly pleasing story, making excellent use of
sounds, using just the right amount of repetition to hold a child’s
attention, and spicing everything with colorful expressions (“Oh,
crumbled candy canes” and “Goody gumballs” are just two examples
that children will love). Linda Hendry’s richly detailed full-color
comical illustrations provide the perfect icing for this cake. Highly
recommended.