The Stocking Stuffer

PreS–Santa gets his own surprise one snowy Christmas Eve when he discovers that the Naughty List is empty! Just as he wonders if he’ll have enough to deliver gifts to so many children, Tinsel the Mouse introduces himself and suggests that he come along to help stuff all the stockings. With a very full sleigh, Santa and Tinsel dash into the night to deliver Christmas joy. Tinsel is the perfect assistant, filling each and every stocking with treasures. When Santa teaches him about the importance of fueling up on cookies, Tinsel notices that there’s a special friend who needs some holiday cheer. Tinsel may be tiny, but his big heart helps save Christmas! This story treads the line between traditional and formulaic. The “Santa’s helper” storyline is comfortable, fun, and unoriginal. The poetic narrative is told with the same meter as Clement Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas,” and the illustrations, while cheerful, are unimaginative. Tinsel the Mouse is winsome in his enthusiasm and efforts, yet is little different from the countless other helpers who have come before him. His similarities to Mouse in Laura Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie may inspire readers to check out this book.