REVIEW: ‘Home Alone 2 Lost in New York’ From Quirk Books

Home Alone 2 Lost in New York, in addition to being a 1992 film written by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus, is now a picture book from Quirk Books as part of their Pop Classics series which also features ET: The Extra-terrestrial, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Karate Kid. This beloved holiday classic has been illustrated onto the page by Kim Smith.

Much like the original film, the book follows Kevin as he once again ends up on his own when his family vacations elsewhere for Christmas. As always, the family is running late for their flight to Florida and in the shuffle, and while trying to find a tissue in his father’s bag, Kevin gets lost and ends up following another man onto the wrong plane. Once in New York, Kevin realizes this is his chance to be alone and explore the magical city during the best time of the year. However, he quickly runs into trouble as Harry and Marv, the burglars who tried to rob his home the year before are in town. With the help of a few new friends, Kevin is determined to save Mr. Duncan’s toy store from the two thieves.

Quirk Books’ Home Alone 2 Lost in New York condenses a lot of the original story and also takes out some of the more inappropriate jokes. In this version, Kevin seems a lot more innocent and less of the mischievous and almost maniacal kid I remember from the movies. That being said, the book is also a lot less scary and easier for young children to digest. A lot of the violence is also understandably watered down. The traps are less deadly and instead of serious concussions, Harry and Marv are left with a few bruises from a small fall here and there. My only issue with the book is how at times, it does feel disconnected from the original source material.

The star of the book though is Smith’s artwork. While the cartoonish style doesn’t resemble the original movie, the color palette does. The bright lights of the holiday decor, the imposing nature of Harry and Marv,  the toy shop’s design, and every encounter Kevin has with the bird lady all feel straight out of the movie.

Overall, Quirk Books’ Pop Classics series continues to be an amazing way to introduce a new generation of kids to classic movies. Home Alone 2 Lost in New York is the perfect book for little ones to enjoy as chestnuts are roasting on an open fire and Santa is checking his list twice. Additionally, fans of the Home Alone series might want to pick this up to have in their collection next to that fancy BluRay and Funko POP! collection.

Home Alone 2 Lost in New York is available now everywhere books are sold.