Five stars because I love Mothman. The end.

Ok no but really, this is such a cute holiday novelty that I would absolutely buy for anyone who's as into cryptids — specifically Mothman. It's cute, the art is great, and the tune is catchy (I know it's just Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer but still!!)

This book was absolutely adorable and I would buy it for my nephew in a heartbeat. I would have loved to see more about mothman helping out with Christmas but otherwise this was just a fantastic book and I sang the song in my head the whole time.

Thank you to 8th Circle Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A cute children's picture book about Mothman, but with a holiday twist! Additionally, the book follows the jingle of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.

I recommend this creative homage to the classic holiday tune.

Side note: I love that this author is from Kentucky! (My home state!)

What an ADORABLE book!
The illustrations blur the line between creepy and cute in the best way and the story is a great homage to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer while also being it’s own unique encouragement to kids to believe in themselves and also in cryptids.
Shaffer is quickly becoming a favorite author. Thanks so much to 8th Circle Press and NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

I plan to post this review to my Instagram a bit closer to Christmas time.

A STORY ABOUT MOTHMAN TO THE TUNE OF RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. It speaks for itself. What a cute and funny story about a cryptid getting to guide Santa Claus's sleigh on Christmas Eve night. Also includes fun facts about Mothman. An instant classic

I love anything to do with cryptids. This was a fast and fun little book. Rudolph is on vacation so Mothman gets to guide Santa's slay. He calls a friend for advice and the rest is.....history?

This was a very cute read! I will definitely be picking up some copies for all the little ones in my life.

It's your classic Rudolph story, just with added Mothman. The illustrations are very sweet, and in good bold colours for kids.
An ideal little stocking stuff for any budding cryptic lover.

Review to come November 11th on blog/other places.

I received this book from the publisher + Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I just love Cryptids and while it was a bit soon for me to read this one (I read this book in September) I just couldn't resist it when I saw it on Netgalley!

In this book we meet the Mothman, who doesn't know him. He is one of my favourite cryptids! And in this book the Mothman has a new fun job! Because of his glowing red eyes he has gotten the attention of someone big, someone HO HO HO-ing his days, also known as Santa! Yep. He has seen that Mothman has some bright red eyes and well, Rudolf apparently decided that it was time for a vacation, yup, smack-dab in the middle of holiday season (bad timing Rudolph), so if Mothman wanted to help? I just loved that he got the chance to show the world he wasn't just scary. That his bright red eyes aren't just for spooky stuff. I loved seeing who he asked for advice ("If you don't believe in yourself, why should anybody else?") and I loved what happened next! This was just so much fun to read and I was getting in all the Christmas vibes, even though it is just September and my brain is more excited about Halloween coming up, haha. 

I loved that we got a FAQ at the end of the book. From why Mothman has birdwings to what a cryptid is to more funny questions. I really liked that this was added! 

And the illustrations were simple but oh so much fun! I loved the way Mothman is drawn and also other cryptids~

All in all, this is one Christmas story that I would highly recommend! Cryptids x Christmas = YAS!

This was ADORABLE. I’m a cryptid lover, especially Mothman, so this was a cute and festive way to incorporate him into the holidays. The illustrations were cute and the rhymes were clever. I would easily buy this for my son as a more alternative Christmas book.

Downloaded this the second I saw Mothman in the title and I was not disappointed. Fourteen pages of pure cryptid entertainment no matter how old you are. Honestly iconic.

(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
Is this the cutest book ever? It could very clearly be.
Written in rhyme (and set to the tune of “Rudolph the red-nose reindeer”, although my lack of rhythm makes it very difficult to sing), with some phrases very obviously written for prosperity (Rudolph is on vacation, of course he is) with the most adorable ‘I-really-need-to-hug’ mothman and some very funny background jokes, I think this makes the perfect Christmas gift for children and adults alike. And do not skip the reading guide at the end of the book, it is simply hilarious.

Oh my gosh, this book is so cute. I really wasn't planning on reviewing a second children's book tonight, but I saw this one when I was dinking around on NetGalley and couldn't resist. I used to live not too far from Point Pleasant and have been fascinated by the Mothman legend since I moved to Appalachia as a teenager, so I had to give this one a quick read.

The text of the book is set to the tune of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and while I wouldn't say that the author's lyrics fit perfectly into the rhythm of the song, it's still super cute. And I'm rather tone deaf, so it's very possible that things fit just fine and I'm simply a terrible in-my-head singer.

The premise of the book is pretty simple – bad things always happen when Mothman is around (like that time “an entire bridge fell down”), but Santa needs help pulling his sleigh since Rudolph is on vacation. If he agrees to help, can Mothman trust himself not to ruin Christmas?

The illustrations are absolutely adorable. I mean, you guys, there's a Mothman in a Santa hat … and then later there's a Mothman eating a Santa hat, which is even more adorable. There are lots of other little funny details to the illustrations, too – Bigfoot holding a “Hide-N Seek Champ” coffee mug is just too much.

If you're looking for diversity, there's even a bit of that. It's not like there's a whole lot of actual people in this book (cryptids, however, are another story), but Santa is black.

There's a reading guide at the end of the book which is just as hilarious as the rest of the book – it answers important questions such as “Why doesn't Santa's sleigh have headlights?” and “Why does Mothman have bird wings?”

Anyway, if you like laugh-out-loud funny children's books or the Mothman or adorable Christmas-y illustrations, definitely pick up a copy of this book for your kid … or for yourself, I won't tell.

Many thanks to NetGalley and 8th Circle Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, 8th Circle Press and Andrew Shaffer for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a delightful spin on Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. A Christmas with Cryptids where Mothman faces his fearful thoughts of truly being bad luck and helps Santa deliver Christmas presents by leading the way with his bright eyes that glow!

What a delightfully different Christmas tale! This book is perfect for fans of Mothman or other cryptids, while still having a traditional Christmas feel to it! "Mothman's Merry Cryptid Christmas" shows that even the spookiest of creatures can be helpful and accepted by others with a lovely slant rhyme scheme that makes it super fun to read out loud!

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this delightful book. I haven't read something so cute in ages! I don't often pick up children's books, but this one I loved. I look forward to owning a physical copy.

Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer meets Nightmare Before Christmas in this adorable monstrous holiday tale. Mothman, feared by everyone around him, faces self-doubt when Santa comes to ask for his help on Christmas Eve. Can this misunderstood cryptid find holiday cheer? The bold and bright artwork pulls Mothman out of the shadows and gives this infamous cryptid a softer side. Both of my kids (F8 & M5) enjoyed reading the story together, finding it silly and fun. We'll definitely be adding this to our holiday reading list.

It is written to sound like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, but some pages the melody was not quite clear. It might had been an accent thing or just a lack of music knowledge on my part. But overall it was cute and a lot of fun to read.

4 stars

Mothman's Merry Cryptid Christmas by Andrew Shaffer is an absolutely adorable Christmas book perfect for kids and adults alike! The illustrations are engaging and hilarious, and Mothman substituting for Rudolph is such an enjoyable spin that is sure to delight. Definitely get this for your kids, any cryptid lovers in your life, and for anyone who believe themselves to be strange and unusual.

My thanks to Net Galley and 8th Circle Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a review. Now I'm counting down until November to acquire a physical copy!

5/5 no notes other than I wish this was somehow a cryptid Christmas series.

Andrew Shaffer is one of my favorite authors so I was excited to get this book early. I even preordered both the paperback and hardcover versions. I now want a plush of Mothman. He is so cute! It's such a cute story!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

Super extra thank you to NetGalley and 8th Circle Publishing for the opportunity to read this amazing Christmas book!!

I LOVED this book. The instant I saw Mothman in a Santa hat, I knew it would be a good one. This was a very fun read, well thought out, and exactly what I’d want in a Christmas Cryptid mashup. The second this book is published, I’ll be adding it to our kid’s collection!