With Santa at the helm, Flit the Fantail embarks on a jolly journey, delivering presents to all the children and native birds of Aotearoa. At the end of a busy night, Flit is safely returned to his nest with a special gift from Santa.
This is a fun and festive Kiwi Christmas tale featuring one of author Kat Quin's beloved characters, Flit. The cheeky fantail's latest adventure is fresh and adorable. Quin's stories are loaded with alliteration and onomatopoeia - which can sometimes get a bit wearisome for adult readers - but younger readers lap them up. There is some really great language within this story and a sweet little tale to boot.
The cover is perfect, with the little bird tangled up in a beard. It's a cover that raises questions, and Quin sets up the book as a great read aloud by practically handing adult readers the tools to help their younger readers develop their reading comprehension. I can see this book being a huge boom in the classroom - for thinking and language skills.
Quin's illustrations add to the sweet tale, with each page bursting with adorable art. There's a lot to spot within each illustration with New Zealand flora and fauna the focus.
As readers of the Flit the Fantail series know, each book ends with a twist, and this offering is no different. Again, Quin prompts readers to ponder and think, to ask questions and create their own answers.
Flit the Fantail and the Christmas Crash is a sweet seasonal story brimming with playful antics and adorable animals that will delight younger readers.
Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell
Scholastic