Humphrey is a grumpy cat who hates everything about Christmas. He would prefer to sit in the basement all day away from the festivities. When Tiny the dog arrives from a pet rescue, she brings an excitement about Christmas that annoys Humphrey hugely. Can Tiny's enthusiasm for Christmas turn Humphrey's bad attitude around?
Author-illustrator Stephanie Thatcher's delightful story is a humorous and fun foray into Humphrey's Christmas. Her illustrations are wonderful. Both animals have the best expressions and both Humphrey and Tiny burst from the page with their larger than life personalities. The humour is perfectly pitched for younger readers with giggles guaranteed throughout the book.
There's great use of negative space within the book too, making it visually appealing and easy to follow.
Thatcher has also made this a New Zealand, or Southern Hemisphere, Christmas story, with one of Humphrey's grinch attitudes stemming from the heat. It might not seem like a lot, but it's a subtle way to build a shared connection.
Don't Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle is a great read that will excite and entertain younger readers long after the tinsel has been packed away.
Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell
Scholastic NZ