In this comic tale, Santa Claus has a bit of a breakdown when he finds he has lost the special laughter that sets the tone for Christmas at the North Pole. Mrs. Claus and the elves do their best to cheer him up, to no avail, and the news travels around the world that Santa has lost his “Ho! Ho! Ho!” As an exhausted Santa sleeps, trying to restore his ability to laugh, an unusual amount of mail flows into the North Pole post office, and this finally provides the cure for Santa’s malaise. A huge display of funny artwork sent by children from all over the world succeeds in restoring Santa’s jolly laughter and putting a merry attitude back into the Christmas celebration. Rader’s loose watercolor-and-ink illustrations are filled with funny elves (both boys and girls) and lots of amusing touches, such as a reindeer-shaped hot-air balloon. Though the premise is presented as lighthearted humor, the notion that someone might be so stressed and exhausted that he is unable to laugh also provides a subtle lesson. (Picture book. 4-7)
