Alfie F. Snorklepuss is a sourpuss of a boy who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus. In his overbearing way, he tries to use logic to convince everyone that Santa is a myth, but his little sister Noelle remains a faithful believer. Her one Christmas wish in her letter to Santa is for a nicer big brother. When Alfie stays awake on Christmas Eve, Santa arrives and whisks the nonbeliever off to the North Pole for a transformative experience with his elves. On Christmas morning, a gift-wrapped and chastened Alfie is inside Noelle’s huge package under the tree, fulfilling her Christmas wish with his solemn pledge to be a nicer brother. The final page shows Santa adding Alfie’s name to his “nice” list, right under his sister’s name. Kids will be drawn to Björkman’s loose watercolor-and-ink illustrations, which bring additional humor to the plot and add believability to Alfie’s change of heart through his facial expressions. The transformation of a nonbeliever on Christmas Eve is an old story, but Alfie F. Snorklepuss is a newly minted winner. (Picture book. 4-8)
