Customer Reviews

Scared of Santa: Scenes of Terror in Toyland

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

To the reviewer(s) who scold the authors for snickering at children's fear, I think you're missing the essence of this book. It's not making fun of children or their fears. It's making fun of the ridiculous ritual itself, and the adults who insist on it despite this all-too-common result.

Even those of us (like me) who wouldn't dream of plopping our kids on a Mall Santa's lap can relate to the universal parental experience: real life isn't like a Christmas card. The best-laid plans of mice and moms oft go awry...and you'll be better off if you can laugh at it.

We've all seen children getting freaked out at the site of the jolly old elf, but never like this. With two-hundred and fifty photos of scared out of their mind children and Santa's who are probably counting the minutes until they get off for the night, you have an instant Christmas coffee table classic that will keep you chuckling.

The book's photos are broken down into different sections such as screamers, wriggling children, and siblings. (My personal favorite is chapter with the freaky Santas). If you're having a Blue Christmas, grab Scared of Santa for a quick lift in spirits.

Good Idea, fun and I did laugh out loud quite a bit. With that said, I have to comment on how very small some of the photographs were. The little pictures distracted from the experience and I found myself just reading and looking at the larger ones half way through the book.

If you have an eagle eye or don't mind squinting you will love all the photos. They are very cute and funny.

This is a great book ... but it is NOT made well at all. We have read it ONCE and it is already falling apart!!!!!!

Childhood rite of passage wouldn't be complete without the horror of sitting on Santa's lap. What makes this book so hilariously funny are not the pictures themselves, but the commentaries that go along with them. Kudos to the writers. After looking at 250 pictures, how they came up with such witty observations is beyond me.

Size of book was disapointment. Only 4x6. Pictures of children seemed to be all the same. Hard to get different shots, I guess. Title was interesting, therefore led me to buy it. Wife thought it was fine. Would not have bought if in a book store and could page through it first before buying.

This is a great little book and perfect as a kind of nostalgic "stocking stuffer" for Christmas. (Think "George Bailey," not "Billy Bob Thornton.") I don't know if it's at all for children, but I really appreciated the book for all the fond, not so fond, but very funny memories looking at the pictures and reading the captions brought back for me and my wife and family. (Such memories are clearly what motivated so many to send in their old photos, most of which are hilarious.) The pictures and captions were obviously lovingly put together and crafted by the authors and my only gripe with the book was that it wasn't longer. More pictures, please! How about "SoS the Second"?

PS Somebody named "Polar Bear" seems to have had a "bad Santa" event and needs a hug! Lighten up, Frances, this book's about Christmas fun, not "stranger danger." (Hey, it's "Santa Claus, not your relatives.)

I bought this book after hearing interview with authors on radio. Sounded so funny. But pictures are way too small and book is so small and binding is tight so that it is hard to hold or lay open. Would not have purchased if I saw it in person (instead of on line).

The pictures collected here are fantastic. Despite what your opinion may be on producing a book on this subject, if nothing else they are a fantastic record of very real moments in many people's life. The book quality itself as other reviewers have stated, is completely horrible. Cheap glue binding, bad paper stock and bad graphic design really detract from the book. They would have been much better off just filling it with full page photos. The comments use a really annoying font and an undecipherable use of quotations, to top it off they are rarely if ever funny or add anything to the images.

I bought this book for my brother, who was Santa for many years. Although the content was great, the size of the book was only a little more than a deck of cards!

The book brought back 'fun' memories of nieces and nephews terrified of the event!