Larry was just your regular caribou, who was cruelly excluded from his crew. He and his kin happened to be the sole Jewish reindeer in the North Pole. Larry was bullied and treated the worst way, until his plan saved one Christmas Day.
A contemporary satirical take on Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Schmuck the Buck introduces Larry, a young Jewish reindeer. He overcomes his awkward and sometimes painful youth to save Christmas. His tale of acceptance and inclusion is sure to warm the hearts of anyone who loves Christmas, Hanukkah, or both. Sixty pages of vibrant illustrations bring his story to life. A unique modern addition to any holiday library.
My Review
I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
This is a funny twist on the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer story. Poor Larry is made fun of by the other caribou and the exclude him from everything and nickname him Schmuck. But when there is a crisis on Christmas Eve, he’s the one who steps up to the plate and saves Christmas! Santa is so pleased with him that Larry gets to ride in Santa’s sleigh.
Schmuck the Buck is full of vividly colorful illustrations, rhyming text, and actually made me laugh at loud a couple of times. Rather than a children’s book, this is more of a book for the whole family whether for Christmas, Hanukkah, or anytime.
A new take on the Rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer story, featuring Larry the Jewish caribou, who gets bullied at school. Treated badly by pretty much everyone, he nevertheless saves the day in time for Christmas with a shrewdly sent message.
Written by someone called Exo Books, this is both a curious and charming little tome with a decidedly festive mood. Using language that’ll entertain adults it should appeal to children too, although smaller kids won’t get the humour. This did make me wonder exactly who the book is aimed at, as my first impression was of a picture book designed for young children.
The story is a lot of fun, giving a new slant on the traditional tale. Having said that, I felt the rhyming pattern used didn’t always work, which irritated me a bit as it would have been so easy to put right. On the other hand, the artwork (by illustrator and cartoonist Karina Shor), is an absolute delight, making the paperback (and presumably the hardback versions), well worth the price.
All in all, a charming little book that’ll make an interesting addition to the Christmas pressie list.
Schmuck the Buck: Santa's Jewish Reindeer is the newest release by EXO Books. It's a 60 page holiday book that is illustrated by Karina Shor. It's a modern and refreshing take on the classic Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Usually, I'm not all that interested in holiday themed stories (and it's so early in the year), but I particularly enjoyed the voice and style of the author in their previous sci-fi novel, The Last Day of Captain Lincoln which I read during Sci-Fi Month back in 2016. Although, the two couldn't be much different on the surface both have a great heart and provide intriguing social commentary with a touch of humor. This tale, like that Christmas classic and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, also rhymes - you can get a bit of a sense in the summary. While the rhymes may not quite roll off the tongue throughout, none of them feel forced or out of place. This seasonal story also features fantastic full color art which I personally enjoyed a bit more than the style used in the author's previous release. The art here certainly fits the tone and the little details throughout make it quite special to explore. Overall, if you're looking for an illustrated Christmasy story with more of an adult tone, you may want to give this quick read a try. Thanks again to EXO Books for this opportunity!
I read Schmuck the Buck on August 23, 2018 and it will be released on September 1st.
