The man, the myth, the legend: Santa Claus. The story behind Santa Claus has always obscured the truth about the real man who lies behind the beard. This is his revealing story, presented for the first time: from his early teenage years when he walked into a forest and was discovered by elves, to his first moments with the future Mrs. Claus, to today--when Santa brings his message of hope, joy and lvoe to the lives of people around the world. The spectacular full-color artwork is by award-winning artist Bill Sienkiewicz, a favorite among fans of graphic art.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Prologue
A Cup of Tea
It was all upon a quiet Christmas morning, as chilly a day as any I can remember, when I was invited in for a cup of tea. Dawn was just breaking as I approached a familiar wooden house with its blue tin roof; a house that had once marked the end of my Yuletide journeys. I hadn't visited this little place in many years, but now I felt drawn to it and I soon discovered why: it was once again aglow with the brightness of childhood. Inside, I found two tiny new stockings hung by the fireplace, emptied of all but the wishes of two little children, awaiting the delights of their very first Christmas.
As I filled the new stockings with toys and sweets, I thought of the first time I had visited this house and of the little girl whose greatest wish had been to one day ride with the reindeer. I remembered, too, how she had always tried to catch me leaving the presents, even when she had grown up and had children of her own. She had never seemed to lose her childlike spirit, and now she had her great-grandchildren to share it with. How quickly the time passes.
Smiling to myself, I lit up the colored lights on the tree and was just about to rise back up the chimney when I heard a soft sound from the room behind me. As I turned, my gaze met with the marvelous grin of a small and aged woman whom I knew in an instant was none other than that very same little girl, come to catch me in the act at last.
"One hundred years have I waited for this chance," she said in a voice that was barely a whisper. "Now won't you join me for a cup of tea?"
So we sat together by the fireside, two old friends talking of our memories of each other and of all that had happened since her childhood days. She showed me the toys she had saved from Christmases long past, and as we sipped our tea, she asked me all the questions that children have been asking since I first began my visits: Where did I come from? Are there such things as elves? How do the reindeer fly, and how does a belly as big as mine fit down all those little chimneys?
Then, when I had answered all of them from first to last, she looked at me with a smile and said: "Do you remember my wish?" And of course, I did. High above the rooftops of her village we flew, the reindeer soaring over snow-tipped forests and ice-covered lakes while my old friend shrieked with delight. Up, up past the wintry clouds we rose, and there we stayed until the bright morning sun came to waken the children from their Christmas dreams.
When at last it was time to leave, she bade me goodbye with a kiss on the cheek, and I could see even as I sped away how her eyes shone like those of a young girl. She had told me that she always remembered that little girl inside of her and could still see me as plain as day, long after her friends had forgotten how.
AS I rode home that Christmas morning, I kept thinking of the words she had whispered to me as we parted: "Yours is a story that wants telling," she had said. And she was right, for I have always wished that I could take the time to sit with each and every child, answering the questions that have gone too long unanswered. Now is the time to do just that.
This book you now hold in your hands is a wish that came true not so very long ago, with a cup of Christmas tea and the innocent wonder of a most unusual one-hundred-year-old little girl. It is for her, and for you, and for all the children everywhere who know to believe in magic, that the tales in this book have been written.
And I promise you that every word is true.
Copyright 1998 by Berkshire Studio Productions, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A New Family Tradition,
By A Customer
This review is from: Santa My Life & Times: An Illustrated Autobiography (Hardcover)
I read "Santa, My Life and Times" with my two boys, ages 4 and 6, over the week prior to Christmas. We took advantage of its longer format to spread it out over several nights, one or two chapters at a time. While I was at first worried that the youngsters' short attention spans would wane, the story, writing and illustrations are so rich that their interest only grew with each night's installment, dovetailing perfectly with their mounting anticipation of the holiday. I wish there were more longer-form children's books out there that offered such depth of experience for my whole family. We'll be reading it again next year, for sure!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
MMMM Santa goodness,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Santa My Life & Times: An Illustrated Autobiography (Hardcover)
Oh man, My daddy got me this book two years ago and for the longest time I was like "Yeah, right Santa Claus, pffft . . ." and I threw the book in my closet. Then this christmas I was sick with the flu and I found it again. Having nothing else to do I began to read it and was sucked into the vast imagery and delicate artwork found within it's pages. It's many fanciful scenes involving the growth of Santa and his escapades in the mushroom forest and various other psychotropic locales dovetailed nicely with the effects of my cold medecine. An awesome tale of the jolly fat man if there ever was one . . . .
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
sienkwiecz is the best artist of our time,
By A Customer
This review is from: Santa My Life & Times: An Illustrated Autobiography (Hardcover)
I have been following the stunning art of Sienkwiecz since I was a 13 year old, when he was illustrating for Marvel Comics. Imagine my surprise when I saw this, with such detailed artwork. I have a feeling that years for now, this will be considered one of his major pieces of art. Not to mention that it has the origin of Santa Claus as well!
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