For our second installment of weekly book reviews from our friends at Booklist, the American Library Association’s nationally distributed book and media review publication, we have Maryann Owen’s review of Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey’s new seasonal favorite for young readers, “The Old Sleigh,” first published in the November 11, 2025, issue of Booklist.
Enjoy.
“The Old Sleigh”
By Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey. Illus. by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey.
Nov. 2025. 48p. Norton Young Readers, $18.99 (9781324054122). PreS-Grade 1.
In this warm winter story about community, a father and son spend the colder months of the year chopping and delivering firewood to neighbors in their small town. As the years go by and the area gradually grows, the deliveries become more numerous. The old, wood-paneled sleigh gets a thorough workout, until the day it falls apart and the duo have to think fast to complete their rounds. While the father works on repairing the old sleigh, his son makes a firewood delivery to a special person. As the accessible text tells of a town growing into a small city, the illustrations show the simple houses being joined by large buildings and a community coming together. The vast expanse of white snowy backgrounds is offset by the warm colors of the homes and the evergreen trees that dot the landscape.— Maryann Owen
If what you’re reading has piqued your interest, look for “The Old Sleigh” at your local library, bookstore, or wherever you like to check out (or listen to) books.
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