Auntie Claus [Hardcover]

Elise Primavera (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Auntie Claus is just another eccentric New Yorker--or is she? Young Sophie has often wondered about her unusual great-aunt, Auntie Claus. She lives in penthouse 25C at the Bing Cherry Hotel and is so curioso! After all, Auntie Claus serves Christmas cookies all year long and her tree is always the best-decorated in the city. And then there's her annual "business trip," right around the holidays. This year Sophie is determined to get to the bottom of Auntie Claus's mysterious ways. Put on your mittens and bundle up for an adventure beyond your wildest dreams. Ho, ho, ho!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Sophie wondered about her great-aunt a lot.
She's so mysterioso! Sophie thought. And this was true.
There were many strange goings-on up in penthouse 25C. Most people considered Auntie Claus just another eccentric New Yorker. But Sophie knew there was more to her than met the eye."

As if Auntie Claus's everyday red velvet gown with furry white trim isn't unusual enough, there is the diamond key that hangs around her neck. During her year-round tea and Christmas cookie rituals, she always leaves young Sophie with the words, "And darling, always remember my first and final rule--whether it's birthdays, Christmas, or Halloween, it is far better to give than to receive!" Oddest of all, every year she departs on a "business trip" right after Halloween and doesn't return until Valentine's Day.

One year, the spoiled and rather unpleasant Sophie (who, like her little brother, is all about "receiving," and as much as possible) decides to stop wondering about her great-aunt and start investigating. She stows away in a large box, is loaded into a Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator-style enclosure with all of her great-aunt's luggage, and is shot off into the sky. Landing with a thunk, she is greeted by Mr. Pudding, who assumes she is the new elf and sets her to work in the mailroom. As Mr. Pudding extols the virtues of hard work, Sophie thinks, "Rules, schmules." But her work hasn't quite yet begun. When Santa asks for one brave elf to volunteer to go to the coal mines and pick up the "B-B-and-G List," Sophie gets nervous. The B-B-and-G List is the list of bad boys and girls who will go without Christmas presents... or worse. She volunteers, thinking she just may be on that list. But when it's her little brother she sees on the list, Sophie finally learns the important lesson that Auntie Claus has been trying to teach her. When that happens, Sophie whirls up out of the coal mines into the Grand Ballroom of the North Pole, where Auntie Claus is revealed to be Santa's sister with much fanfare.

Award-winning illustrator Elise Primavera's gorgeous artwork is positively luminous, recalling the splendid Christmas television specials How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the Claymation version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in extraordinary compositions, compellingly portrayed characters, and unusual perspectives. Not at all surprisingly, Nickelodeon Films has already secured the rights to this action-packed, highly visual story to make a full-length live-action film in the year 2000. (Ages 4 and older) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly

A healthy dose of holiday magic abounds in a picture book poised to make a big splash. A little bit Auntie Mame, a little bit Coco Chanel, Sophie Kringle's glamorous great-aunt lives in a penthouse atop Manhattan's Bing Cherry Hotel. Auntie Claus disappears every holiday season on a mysterious business trip and, determined to discover her destination, Sophie stows away and follows her. Larded with scrumptious visual foreshadowing, Primavera's hilariously arch gouache and pastel illustrations are the highlight of this merry confection. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) FYI: The author has established a Web site for the book at www.auntieclaus.com, and Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City has chosen Primavera's tale as the theme for its holiday window display.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (September 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 015201909X
• ISBN-13: 978-0152019099
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #515,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elise Primavera has been writing and illustrating children's books for more than twenty-five years. She has received numerous awards for her work and in 2004 she was asked to illustrate the Christmas Brochure for the White House. Her bestselling book AUNTIE CLAUS has sold over half a million copies. Elise wrote her first novel the popular SECRET ORDER OF THE GUMM STREET GIRLS in 2006. Her latest book LIBBY OF HI HOPES is an illustrated novel due to arrive 2012. For more information visit www.eliseprimavera.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous book!, October 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Auntie Claus (Hardcover)

How refreshing to come across Sophie Kringle and Auntie Claus in this unusual Christmas story! Finally, two strong female characters in a book with a sense of humor...sure, Sophie is a bit of a brat, but she has such a self-assured sense of adventure; Auntie Claus sees to it that Sophie develops a kind heart as well, in this beautifully illustrated book so chock full of Christmas that I'm already shopping for those little hard candies! Bravo, Ms. Primavera!

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful art and a cute, clever story, October 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Auntie Claus (Hardcover)

Auntie Claus is an original take on the goings-on at the North Pole each year. Not only do we find out about Santa Claus, but we find out about his whole family and what they do during the rest of year. The story is cute and funny and the illustrations are beautiful and set the tone for the book. The contrast between New York City and the North Pole is wonderful - in both the story and the pictures.

My children loved the book and were on the edge of their seats waiting to see what would next happen to Sophie at each step of the story. Ms. Primavera has really captured the feeling of what it's like to be a child and my children felt like they were at the North Pole with Sophie going through her adventure.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teaches kids the magic rule, November 29, 2000

By 

Auntie94 (Foster City, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Auntie Claus (Hardcover)

I loved this book. I orginally bought this book to read to my six year-old niece. She and her friends love to call me Auntie, and I was excited when I saw the title.

When I sat down to read her this book, I knew this was the right book. My niece is spoiled, but she is not as bad as Sophie and her brother Chris the characters in this book. My sister and I were trying to find a way to get across the reason every year at Christmas, we give some of her toys and we buy news toys to donate to children who don't have as much as she does. She just never quite understood the concept.

I love how Auntie Claus trys to tell Sophie that the number one rule is "It is better to give, then to receive". When Sophie stows away to see where Auntie Claus goes from Halloween until Valentines Day, I knew the book was going to get even better.

The B-B & G List was a great part of the book. I read that part to my niece and was able to tell her, that I was once on that list and all Santa left for me was Coal in my stocking (true story). I told her if she continued asking for things everytime we went shopping and whining when we said no, that she would be just like Sophie's little brother and get her name on the B-B & G List. And when at the end Sophie finally learned to take her brothers place on the list, so he wouldn't be disappointed, that was good.

Now when I read the book to my niece she gets to say the number one rule everytime it appears in the book. And I have her explain what it means.

I hope more books like this are written. I will keep this book and bring it out throughout the year, when I think my niece has forgotten the number one rule.