Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is Now a Picture Book
Out of all of the picture books I’ve ever read - stretching all the way back to my childhood, and including all of the new books we’ve discovered together with our two children - the Pop Classics from Quirk Books excite me like no other. They make me happy for a multitude of reasons, and I anticipate the release of new titles in the series as much or more than any other picture books.
Disclosure: A copy of Home Alone 2 was shared with us by the publisher to allow for this article. We only write about things we love and recommend. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
If you haven’t come across the Pop Classics before, it’s a series of picture books illustrated by Kim Smith and based upon famous movies from the 80s and 90s. In other words, it’s a 30-year-old geeky Dad’s dream come true.
So far, the series already includes great books like Back to the Future, The Karate Kid, and, our personal favorite, Home Alone. In fact, we’re such big fans of what Kim Smith did with Home Alone, we added it to our list of the very best Christmas picture books.
One of the things that makes these books special is certainly a great big heap of nostalgia. I have a long mental list of famous movies from my childhood that I can’t wait to share with my kids, and turning them into beautiful picture books is very much a win-win situation. I get to introduce them to the classic films of my childhood much earlier than I would have, and we get to reap all of the brain-boosting benefits of reading to your kids at the same time.
But, of course, all of it would be for nothing if these licenses weren’t in good hands. So it’s very important to point out that Quirk Books and Kim Smith have absolutely knocked it out of the park with this series. I am in love with Smith’s artwork. I find that the cartoon aesthetic has turned out to be a perfect fit for the books, and the ideal way for me to share these great stories with the kids.
If you’re a regular reader on Dad Suggests, there’s a good chance you’ve read about the original Home Alone picture book already. It’s been a huge hit in our house, and I tend to mention it pretty often. It was our son’s first introduction to the story of Home Alone, and it led to us buying the board game, as well as spending quite a few evenings stringing up booby traps all over the house. And now, just in time for the holiday season, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is on the way!
There’s no reason to tiptoe around it - I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to get my hands on a picture book early before. Just like good, old-fashioned Christmas anticipation, I was counting down the days until the release of this one. When I first heard that Home Alone 2 was being published by Quirk Books, I was ecstatic. And, when it finally came in the mail, I may or may not have made an audible squeal of delight.
I’m happy to report that it has lived up to the hype I placed upon it, not that there was ever any doubt. The illustrations are just as spectacular as ever, and the feature-length story is perfectly condensed into picture book format. All of the most important parts of the story are covered - the turtle dove ornaments, the bird lady in the park, the exorbitant amounts of room service, and, of course, a big focus on Kevin’s booby trap battle plan.
Just like in the first Home Alone picture book, we’re treated to a full page of Kevin’s booby trap map - titled “Operation Ho Ho Ho”. As predicted, this is certainly our 6-year-old’s favorite part of the book. And, this time around, our 3-year-old is old enough to fully appreciate the hilarity on display. The first time we read it together, she got a huge kick out of Marv and Harry slipping on the green goo, and she was talking about it for quite a while afterwards.
Another big highlight for the kids is obviously Kevin staying in a big hotel by himself. They thought it was hilarious that there were no parents around and Kevin was eating ice cream in bed while watching TV. Even our 3-year-old laughed out loud when Kevin’s dad shouts about how much money Kevin spent on room service at the end of the book.
But what makes Home Alone and Home Alone 2 so special - and such fantastic Christmas stories - is the way they completely pull a 180 by the end with their heartfelt focus on love and family. In the sequel, Kevin finally reunites with his mother underneath the biggest Christmas tree in New York City - which of course is a very beautiful picture.
And then, at the very end of the story, Kevin slips away on Christmas morning to share one of his turtledove ornaments with the bird lady in the park. For me that was always such an important moment of kindness and love in the story, and I’m very glad the picture book left it in. It’s a very sweet gesture, and I’m happy to share it with our kids and see what they think about Kevin’s decision.
It’s pretty early, but I feel comfortable calling this one already. Home Alone 2 is the holiday picture book of the season for me. It deserves a good home underneath quite a few stockings and Christmas trees this year. Along with the first Home Alone picture book, it’s going to be a part of our Christmas reading tradition for many, many years to come.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York releases on October 1st, 2019. You can pre-order it now on Amazon, or shop local on IndieBound.org.
Have you discovered the Pop Classics? Any Home Alone fans in your family? Are you looking forward to sharing Home Alone 2 with your kids? Let us know in the comments!