Game of Gnomes

Ginger the redheaded gnome is tired of "everygnome" not seeing past her hair to the real her: "I like my hair," she tells her friend Al; "I just want to be known for something else. I can run fast and jump high and catch the wind!" Al, who's had his own share of hair-related identity crises (as seen in Kirsten Mayer and Laura K. Horton's Go BIG or Go Gnome), suggests she prove herself in the Winter Gnome Games. Exuberant Ginger goes all out and is definitely the fastest and best in every event. Unfortunately, she also keeps bending the rules and getting disqualified. She stands up on her pinecone shingle sled, effectively inventing gnome snowboarding. She speed skates during the figure skating competition. And in the curling, she whacks the curling stone across the frozen puddle and straight into the judge's hat, which he's just removed to scratch his head. Worst of all, the cheering crowd continues to focus on her hair: "Go, Red!" It's not until her superior hill-shredding, speed-skating and target-aiming skills are needed for a real-life emergency that everygnome finally sees her for her true, strong, heroic self.

Mayer's endearing story reinforces the importance of embracing one's full identity (with a mildly spicy feminist flavor: i.e., girls and women are more than their looks). Horton's tiny gnomes are given a charming perspective by the giant pinecones, finches, squirrels and toadstools. Readers will enjoy the winter wonderland, lively characters and gentle message in Game of Gnomes. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor

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