Books about Santa Help Kiddies Count the Days
By Holly E. Newton

Santa Claus will soon be here, and I just bet your little ones can barely wait for his arrival on Christmas Day! Here is a list of some great new picture books about the jolly man that will surely entice and delight your youngster.

The first two books are geared for toddlers. Merry Christmas: A Storybook Collection, published by Scholastic, has a large Santa with a beard that’s soft to the touch. The three adorable stories include “Once there was a Christmas Tree,” written and illustrated by Jerry Smath, and “Ten Timid Ghosts on a Christmas Night,” written and illustrated by Jennifer O’Connell.

Here’s a quick read for a bedtime story when the time is late and your toddler is ready for sleep! It’s Christmas, written and illustrated by Tina Burke, is a simple book with few words, but seems to catch the essence of a youngster’s anticipation of Santa’s coming.

Harvey Slumfenburger’s Christmas Present, written and illustrated by John Burningham, shows a very tired Santa at the end of all his deliveries. As soon as he beds down his exhausted reindeer, he crawls into bed himself. But he suddenly sees a present at the end of his bed that he’d forgotten all about. It was to go to Harvey Slumfenburger, and Santa knew this boy was very poor and the only present he would receive would be this one from Santa. He can’t wake the reindeer, so he finds many other modes of transportation to get the present to Harvey in time. Here’s a story that shows the importance in the act of giving!

Dear Santa Claus, by Alan Durant, and illustrated by Vanessa Cabban, was first published in 2005. But this newest edition is in a mini-size but still has all of the inventive envelopes with letters from Santa tucked inside. This book may be small but it’s packed with loads of fun!

If you want facts about the magical reindeer, Santa’s Reindeer, by Rod Green and illustrated by Jon Lucas, Carol Wright and Clayton McDermott, will answer with a feeling of authenticity. The extra-thick pages fold out, open up, and invite the reader to learn more about the habitat of these special deer!

The next five picture books are funny, clever and beg to be read aloud! Who will Help Santa This Year?, by Jerry Pallotta, and illustrated by David Biedrzycki, will show how Santa tried everything from dragons to mermaids until he finally found that elves really make the best workers!

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Santa’s First Flight, by Sam Beeson, and illustrated by Tom Tolman, shows what happened the first time Santa set out to deliver presents. The rhyming text is hilarious and a great read on Christmas Eve. Did you know that Santa first tried penguins to fly his sleigh? And his sleigh was actually a snow blower and coming down the chimney was very, very difficult for him!

The Longest Christmas List Ever, by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, reads in rhyme and has a message that’s short. Even though young Trevor begins writing his Christmas list and continues writing all through the year, he eventually discovers the true meaning of Christmas.

Here’s a different take on the Santa Claus story. From the vantage point of a chicken, Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve, written and illustrated by Janet Morgan Stoeke, shows how Miverva, the chicken, sees a party taking place on top of a roof and flies up to see large brown goats with a farmer in a red suit. There’s more humor on every page.

Olivia Helps with Christmas, written and illustrated by Ian Falconer, has all of the elements of family time together, but Olivia has problems as she attempts to untangle the lights. Here’s another story of Olivia and her funny antics.

Eloise’s Christmas Trinkles, by Kay Thompson, and illustrated by Hilary Knight, is at it again as she attempts to decorate the Plaza in all the Christmas gala. This fun early chapter book is perfect for ages 7 through 9.

When Santa Fell to Earth, by Cornelia Funke, and illustrated by Paul Howard, is geared for ages 9 through 12 and has Santa as the last Santa who is trying to do good for all children when his reindeer crashes to the ground. How can he get his caravan fixed and get it up and going again? It’s just too bad that the protagonist, who is so endearing, cheats on a math test and there’s no mention that this is wrong.

The last three books are great for all ages. The Nutcracker, written and illustrated by Susan Jeffers, is a celebration of re-telling this beautiful ballet in a story-form that will help children visually see, read and understand better. Jeffers has created a masterpiece with her version!

The Twelve Days of Christmas, by Betty Ann Schwartz, and illustrated by Judith Moffatt, will amaze and surprise you. I’m always astounded at the way publishers are continually coming up with different and unique ways to package and bind books. You’ll have to open this tall sized book to see how ribbons help decorate a Christmas tree with the turn of each page!

Christmas Cookies: A Holiday Cookbook, by Susan Devins, and illustrated by Barbara Lehman, is packed with yummy holiday goodies that are easy to read — and easy to bake.

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Holly Evans Newton has taught kindergarten through 7th grades for 25 years. She received her B.S. from Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and her M.A. from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. She has three sons who have served full time missions, two younger daughters, plus four adorable grandchildren. She has been married to Dale Karl Newton for 34 years. Her husband has recently taken a new position in St. Paul, Minnesota. So Holly is now expanding her reviews to cover not only the MO and AZ areas but now the Twin Cities location as well.

Holly is the recent recipient of the prestigious Literacy Award presented to her by the International Reading Association. She writes a weekly children's book review for the largest distributed newspaper throughout mid-Missouri. She was seen for eight years on the NBC affiliate in Missouri and on the NBC affiliate in Phoenix for her weekly children’s book reviews. She will soon be seen on the NBC affiliate in Minnesota. She presents book presentations to schools where her knowledge, experience and enthusiasm are valued by educators, students and parents. What sets her apart from other reviewers is her goal to find the best books for kids by reading books cover to cover and making sure there is no inappropriate language or sexual content. You can find her past book reviews on her website: www.newtonsbook.com

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