Elmore and the Big ­Christmas Rescue

PreS-Gr 1–Petty follows up Elmore the Christmas Moose with a new picture book about the beloved animal stepping in to help Santa. It’s a week before Christmas and Santa Claus has gotten sick. As he ­recuperates on a beach, all preparations at the North Pole are placed in the hands of ­Elmore the Moose. His ­to-do list is long, but his ­enthusiasm is ­evident in the letters he writes back and forth to ­Santa. When Santa doesn’t have the ­answers for the problems Elmore encounters, the moose must gather the courage and ­creativity to do things his way. Children will learn about problem-solving and being ­oneself as Elmore tries to ­motivate the ­reindeer to exercise and get along with the elves as they go about their routines. Mixed in with some wordplay and puns having to do with Elmore’s name, the text and artwork reveal that first days on the job can be imperfect, but still successful.