Even through icy wind and blinding snow, Santa's special kid-tracking system is in perfect working order as proven in this reassuring picture book. A family traveling on Christmas Eve must take refuge at a motel during a fierce winter storm, and their younger son worries that Santa Claus will never find them. What happens during the night is every child's Christmas fantasy: the boy meets Santa face-to-face. Rosenberg's (Monster Mama) verse builds up a gentle suspense and Clapp's (Shining) realistic watercolors neatly balance the fantastic and lifelike elements of the story. His contrast of a crisply rendered contemporary family with a velvety, flurry-filled night sky and solid Santa makes the events seem all the more possible. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-When a snowstorm forces his family to stop at a motel late on Christmas Eve, a boy worries that Santa won't be able to find them. This is a classic childhood concern, of course. Here the author and illustrator combine a straightforward realism with a touch of magic and wonder to create a simple, satisfying picture book. The photo-realist quality of the paintings helps to enhance the sense of enchantment as Santa and his young friend tiptoe "past the registration desk and the humming ice machines" to deliver gifts. This is the perfect selection for children who are old enough to know that some people don't believe in Santa but young enough to cling stubbornly to their own belief.-V. W.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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