Common Sense Media Review
By Darienne Stewart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Enchanting, soulful portrait of Santa.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When Santa feels his whiskers tingling, he knows it’s time to get ready. He quietly goes about his preparations for Christmas in his cozy home at the North Pole: polishing his sleigh, oiling his boots, and gathering toys for delivery Christmas Day. And when the stars begin to shine their brightest, the Christmas magic fills the night.
Is It Any Good?
This is a Christmas lullaby for families to cherish. It’s a warm, calming alternative to gaudy holiday fare. There are no elves, no wish lists, no hearty jolliness. Lauren Thompson’s carefully paced writing is poetic and vivid, pairing beautifully with gorgeous illustrations by Jon J Muth: Kids will feel the reindeer’s shaggy coats, hear the harness bells jingle as Santa polishes them, and feel the warmth of the fire while Santa mends his socks. Here, Santa is a solitary figure, going about his preparations with care and loving attention.
Adults and kids alike will be touched by this meditative picture book. Its quiet beauty invites families to be still, for just a moment, and feel a bit of holiday magic.
Soft watercolor and pastel artwork casts a spell all its own.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Santa’s work. Magic is essential to what he does, but is magic enough on its own? What does Santa need to do to be ready?
Compare this Santa story with other books or movies about him. How is this Santa different? How is he the same? Why does he seem different from one story to the next?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jon J. Muth
- Genre : Holiday
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : September 1, 2009
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 40
- Last updated : July 13, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate