School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-When Harriet and George encounter Ms. Hoozit leaving the grocery store, they pledge to avoid her at all costs, fearing her dreaded fruitcake. Sneaking and hiding from their neighbor for a whole week is exhausting, but they successfully manage to evade her until Christmas Eve. Harriet's little brother, Walt, unsuspecting, accepts an invitation from her to go inside for a "Christmas treat" and emerges shouting "Yummy Fudge." Ms. Hoozit informs the dog and rabbit friends that she has looked for them all week, but the fudge is all gone. She says, "-don't worry, I still have a Christmas treat for you. Last year's fruitcake!" The characters' expressions are great fun, and beginning readers will get a laugh and perhaps learn some manners from this latest addition to Carlson's popular series.-L. F. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Christmas nibblers everywhere are sure to relate to Carlson's (Louanne Pig in the Mysterious Valentine) tale of the dreaded Yuletide fruitcake. When Harriet and George run into Ms. Hoozit on her way home to cook, they assume that she is whipping up her famous loaf, which they used last year for cracking nuts and playing football. Carlson's hilarious vignettes depict the exhausting measures they take to avoid Ms. Hoozit. But the joke's on them when the pals discover that she made fudge instead and by the time they get to Ms. Hoozit's all she has left is... you guessed it. A holiday joke that feasters young and old can appreciate. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) FYI: This review should have been included in the Children's Holiday round-up (Sept. 24). (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
