HOW THE REINDEER SAVED SANTA

Haywood, well-loved by generations of children, has a knack for writing comfortably funny stories about subjects near and dear to them, in this case, Santa Claus. Looking over his geriatric reindeer and rusting old sleigh, Santa doesn't want to be an old fogey. He orders a helicopter, brightly painted with Christmas decorations, puts the reindeer out to pasture, and sends the sleigh to the children's museum. Santa takes off in a merry mood, but the slick helicopter slides off a steep rooftop; then he loses the key in the snow. Panic overcomes him, but the faithful reindeer come to his rescue and, of course, all the toys are delivered on time. The plot is familiar, the outcome predictable, but that will neither dull the glow nor diminish the suspense. The ebullient, brightly colored pictures are full of humorous details.