151. Santa's First Christmas

151. Santa's First Christmas. Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Sydney Smith. 2024. [October 22] 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars] [picture book, Christmas, Santa]

First sentence: In the old days, Santa didn't have Christmas. All year, he made toys at the North Pole, which he loaded up in his sleigh each Christmas Eve, then flew all over the world to place under trees.

Premise/plot: Santa celebrates his FIRST Christmas thanks to his elves. True, they probably spent years not thinking about how Santa spends his Christmas and not noticing the lack of celebrations; however, it's never too late. This picture book chronicles Santa's private celebrations. 

My thoughts: I definitely enjoyed this one. It is decidedly better than your typical children's picture book featuring Santa. I didn't quite love, love, love it. But it is a solid read. 

The end papers are VERY bright. The colors of the illustrations are more subdued, darker. I enjoyed many of the illustrations. I didn't love each spread equally. Spreads I loved, I loved. Spreads I didn't, well, I had more of a meh response. That being said, I enjoyed this one for sure. 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Paddington and the Christmas Surprise

Bond, Michael. Paddington and the Christmas Surprise.

It's been a while since I've read any Paddington stories. And this book was a pleasant holiday-themed reintroduction to a lovable marmalade-loving bear. Paddington and family are off to the store to see Santa and visit the store's Winter Wonderland. But things don't go as planned. Paddington seems to be causing all sorts of trouble, but this "trouble" soon becomes the publicity the store needs to draw in new customers during the Christmas shopping season. So all is well, and well, Paddington gets his just rewards--Santa's homemade marmalade.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Priscilla And the Great Santa Search

Hobbie, Nathaniel. 2008. Priscilla and the Great Santa Search. Illustrated by Jocelyn Hobbie.

Chances are you'll either love the illustrations or hate them. You'll either find them cutsie-wootsie, sickeningly sweet, or dinky. OR you'll find them simply adorable, charmingly old-fashioned, or sweet as a baby's behind. I can't predict how YOU'LL feel about them. But they were a bit too cutsie for my tastes. That's not to say I think they're poorly drawn. It's just a stylistic choice.

This is not the first book starring Priscilla. It's the fourth. (Though it's the first Priscilla book that I've read.) It's written in rhyme. And while there were a few places here and there where the text flirted with being dinky, overall I must say it worked for me. The text won me over. I felt my heart thawing there by the end. Cutesie-wootsie style and all.

The book is a story about a little girl, Priscilla, and her best friend, Bettina, who go on a quest to the North Pole after being disappointed in all the fake Santas they find in town--especially at the local mall.

Does Priscilla find Santa? Do the two return triumphant? You'll have to read this one and see.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Where Are My Christmas Presents

Rives, J.G. 2007. Where Are My Christmas Presents. Illustrated by Dot Young.

When a young boy, Edgar, discovers that there are no presents waiting for him under the Christmas tree, he becomes upset. So Edgar sets out on a journey to find his Christmas presents and in thus doing unknowingly begins his journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas. It is a journey from thinking only about one's self to thinking about--and caring--for others. Edgar is not a very nice boy when we first meet him. He's selfish, rude, inconsiderate, blind to the real world--a hurting world, a needy world.

Here is just one of his exchanges:

Edgar went into a nearby hospital. He walked into one room where a little girl was lying in a bed. She was bald. Even though she looked strange, Edgar still had to ask, "Have you seen my Christmas presents?"
"No, I haven't. But I have been sick and haven't been able to get any presents lately."
"No matter," Edgar quipped, "I was talking about MY presents anyway!" He quickly left the room.

He has similar conversations with other stereotypically needy and less fortunate people as well--the sick, the poor, the homeless, the orphans, an old person, etc.

I won't go into all the details as to how this Scrooge-of-a-character has a change of heart. But it has a happy ending.

The book is all about the message. The message is a good one--to learn compassion, kindness, generosity--I'm not saying it isn't. But the message is still missing a little something from my perspective--for a book about 'the true meaning of Christmas' there is too much Santa and no Jesus--baby or otherwise. That's just my opinion, and you may think differently.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers