Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dog's unwanted gift saves the day in warm Christmas tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE CHRISTMAS SWEATER begins on Christmas day, when a young boy, Theo, is celebrating the first birthday of his pug dog, Ariadne. Theo's grandmother, Yiayia, gives Ari a red sweater that has all sorts of sparkly things sewn into the front of it — stars, jingle bells, an angel, candy, and more. Ari appears to have no interest in the sweater, but Theo puts it on her and pops her into his backpack and takes her for a hike through the snow so he can try out his new snowshoes, also a gift from Yiayia. He thinks Ari will like the sweater once she sees how warm and cozy it is. But along the way, unknown to Theo the sweater snags on a branch and its red yarn starts to unravel, dropping its little ornaments and doodads in the snow. By the time Theo becomes aware that Ari has lost her sweater, they are lost in the snowy woods, but Theo is able to follow the red yarn string back home. Meanwhile, magpies pick up the fallen doodads and bring them to the evergreen tree in the town square. Now "the trimmings from the Christmas sweater were glittering all over the tree." And Theo gets to place the shiny angel the top.
Is It Any Good?
This sweet holiday tale boasts a fun twist where an unwanted gift turns out to be the thing that saves a boy and his dog when they get in trouble. Besides that welcome plot resolution, there are layers of kindness and thoughtfulness woven in. When Ari rejects (or at least ignores) Yiayia's handwoven sweater, Theo wants to ease her possibly hurt feelings, so he quickly thanks her for the gift she gave him, snowshoes. It's a brief moment in a longer adventure story, but a nice touch that reveals something about Theo's character and his love for his grandmother. Jan Brett's signature side panels echo and amplify the main action, with dogs romping in the snow, Yiayia waiting at home, and magpies discovering and transporting Christmas baubles lost but not forgotten.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the relationship between the boy and his grandmother in The Christmas Sweater. How does he try to make her feel better when Ari the pug rejects her gift? Why is it nice to think of other people's feelings?
What do you think of the smaller drawings on each page framed in red yarn? Do you think they add to the story? How?
What does Jan Brett do in her illustrations to make readers feel the cold of the snow on the page? What colors does she use? Try drawing a snowy picture yourself!
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jan Brett
- Genre : Holiday
- Topics : Adventures , Animals , Family Stories , Holidays
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Empathy , Gratitude , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : November 25, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : November 18, 2025
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