Book Review of It’s Christmas, Chloe Zoe!
The Children’s Book Review
It’s Christmas, Chloe Zoe!
Written and Illustrated by Jane Smith
Ages: 3+ | 34 Pages
Publisher: Jane Smith (2025) | ISBN: 9798992388732
What to Expect: Christmas, Family, Handmade Gifts, Santa, Crafting, and Winter.
When Chloe Zoe worries that Santa won’t know what presents to bring her family, she decides to create her own Christmas magic by making them gifts herself.
It’s Christmas, Chloe Zoe! is the ninth title in the popular Chloe Zoe picture book series by award-winning author-illustrator Jane Smith. After visiting Santa, Chloe Zoe realizes her family hasn’t told him what they want for Christmas, leading to a “knot of worry” that twists in her belly. A jolt of excitement hits when she decides to become Santa for her family and make their Christmas wishes come true.
Jane Smith’s writing is beautifully descriptive, effectively capturing Chloe’s emotional journey from worry to determination to warmth and happiness. The narrative focuses on the joy of giving, using simple, relatable language to recount Chloe Zoe’s efforts to craft a book for her dad, paper flowers for her mom, and a difficult-to-make clay pony doll for her sister.
Rendered in colored pencil and digital mixed-media collage, the illustrations feature bright colors and depict classic holiday scenes, such as decorating the Christmas tree and the joy of unwrapping presents. The visual details of the handmade presents, like the folded tissue-paper flowers and the sculpted clay pony, highlight the care and effort Chloe Zoe puts into her gifts.
It’s Christmas, Chloe Zoe! is a lovely tale celebrating the DIY spirit of the holidays, emphasizing that the most cherished gifts often come from the heart. It would be most enjoyed by young readers, especially fans of the Chloe Zoe series or any child who enjoys crafting or stories about Christmas and family.
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About the Author/Illustrator
Jane Smith is the award-winning author-illustrator of thirteen children’s books, including the popular Chloe Zoe picture book series originally published by Albert Whitman and Company. It’s Christmas, Chloe Zoe is the ninth title in the series, and continues a set of three new Chloe Zoe books, relaunching the series. Jane enjoys unicorns, getting crafty, and making kiddos laugh. She lives in sun-kissed Wilmington, North Carolina, with her husband and superstar daughter.
Visit Jane at www.superjane.com.
