Little Santa
By Regan McMahon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Cute origin story shows how Santa met elves and reindeer.
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What's the Story?
Santa's a cheerful little boy in the gloomy Claus family living at the North Pole. The family's packing up to get out of the cold and move to Florida when a blizzard snows them in and little Santa shimmies up the chimney to get help. On his way he meets elves and a flying reindeer -- and slides back down the chimney to save the day.
Is It Any Good?
LITTLE SANTA is a fresh origin story that shows how a pot-bellied little boy in a red onesie grew up to be Santa Claus. It has more to do with the North Pole's snowy climate than Christmas, but there are two scenes that show the decorating of a pine tree (one by Santa, one by the elves), and a flash-forward shows the familiar, white-bearded Santa on a rooftop with his team of reindeer, ready to plunge down the chimney with his sack of toys.
Author-illustrator Jon Agee's art is adorable, his humor sly and deadpan. It's perfect for read-aloud, and kids will have fun imagining what Santa was like as a little kid meeting a flying reindeer and tiny, industrious, elf craftsmen for the first time. There's no hint of the historical, religious, European origin of St. Nicholas.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Santa Claus. Have you ever thought of his life as a kid? Do you think he grew up at the North Pole, or have you heard some other story of where he came from?
What other stories about Santa have you liked in books or movies?
Make up your own story about Santa, imagining that he grew up in your town. What would his life have been like there? Would his family have been too cold? Too hot?
Book Details
- Author: Jon Agee
- Illustrator: Jon Agee
- Genre: Holiday
- Topics: Friendship, Holidays
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Dial Books
- Publication date: October 17, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 3 - 5
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, Kindle
- Award: ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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