Where, oh where, is there a delightfully fresh Christmas story? A read-it-again, rollicking rhyme fest with winsome, white animals and rosy pink backgrounds? Right here in this enchanting tale about arctic animals who rescue Santa Claus after he falls into a snow drift during a rest stop for the reindeer. The worried reindeer on the cover and first spread establish the concept that Santa is missing in action, and in the following pages, arctic hares, seals, an arctic fox and polar bears are introduced with short, clever rhymes about their distinguishing features and mode of motion. The animals join forces to follow the boot tracks in the snow, finding poor Santa buried upside down, with only his snowshoes sticking out. After his rescue, Santa and the reindeer take off into the sky, which has gradually been darkening from pink to purple, with just a single word of text: “WHOOSH.” The final, spectacular spread completes the phrase (“AWAY!”) with a glowing view of the Northern Lights, and once again, Santa Claus has disappeared. This one has it all: impeccable rhyming text, bouncy rhythm, rich language, engaging illustrations and a breathtaking ending. A surefire success for Santa storytimes. (Picture book. 2-7)
