FICTION

When Santa Was a Baby

by Linda BAILEY
illus. by Geneviève Godbout. 32p. Tundra Books. Oct. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781770495562.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—From the time he was born, Santa is a bit of a special child. From a booming laugh as a baby to a marked preference for red and cold weather as a toddler to the habit of rewrapping and giving away his presents, his ways set him apart from other children. Still, his parents adore him and know that someday he'll become something amazing—maybe a fireman, with all that red? Given his lifestyle choices, his eventual career as Santa Claus is the perfect one, as far as his proud parents are concerned. Santa as a youngster is a strapping, blond, cheerful lad, while his doting parents are plump and smiley—in one scene, his mom wears a cheerful sundress and hat while his dad sports a polo shirt and sandals with white knee socks.
VERDICT A fond, reassuring look at the eccentric childhood of a much-beloved holiday figure.
Reviewed by Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library
In the tradition of Agee's Little Santa (rev. 11/13) and Krensky's How Santa Got His Job, here's another Santa origin story. This child is Santa from the word go, booming "HO, HO, HO!" in the cradle, delivering presents to other children as a toddler, training hamsters to pull a makeshift miniature sleigh. His proud, adoring parents speculate about his future: his insistence on wearing red might mean he'll be a firefighter; his interest in the chimney's soot, a scientist; etc. Young readers, who know better, will enjoy watching Santa grow up to be exactly who he is. Warm, textured pastel and colored-pencil illustrations on generous double-page spreads enrich this gentle, humorous, love-suffused tale. Martha V. Parravano
In this Santa origin story, a child booms "HO, HO, HO!" in the cradle, delivers presents as a toddler, trains hamsters to pull a miniature sleigh. His parents speculate about his future: e.g., might wearing red mean he'll be a firefighter? Readers will enjoy watching Santa grow up to be exactly who he is. Warm, textured illustrations enrich this humorous, love-suffused tale.
 , Oct 01, 2015

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