Santa, Are You for Real? (by Harold Myra)

It's a rite of passage in every child's life: Is Santa Claus real? This book is directed at those who are ready to learn the truth (and is definitely not for those who are hanging on to the myth a little longer). The rhyme helps keeps children's interest, and the pictures are lively and almost cartoonlike, which lends to the book's appeal.

Unfortunately, the story turns to prose at the point where Todd's dad tells him the truth about Saint Nick and the tradition of giving Christmas presents. It may be more direct, but it is dull in comparison with the liveliness of the poem. What the story does best, however, is present the truth, a truth that's sometimes hard for parents to fess up to their children. When children are ready for the truth, explaining our December traditions through the use of this book can be a special shared moment between parent and child, and can help make the explosion of the Santa myth a little easier to take.