THE CHRISTMAS SPRYTE ENCOUNTER

In this picture book, a little Christmas magic helps a boy find courage before getting a photograph taken with Santa Claus.

In rhyming verse, a light brown–skinned boy tells readers about his yearly experience of getting a picture taken with Santa at the mall. The narrator recounts the mall Santa’s flaws: “Santa smells like moth balls and he has onion breath. / I wish you could get this: He scares me to death!” But the boy’s mother insists that it’s a tradition, and so the uneasy protagonist is gussied up and dragged to the mall against his will. While standing in line and becoming anxious, the boy suddenly hears a small, encouraging voice. The voice is coming from a Spryte named Ella, who teaches the boy to breathe, adjust his sleeve cuffs, and shake Santa’s hand. This advice helps the formerly fearful boy to have confidence and pose for a great picture. Crighton’s cute tale about learning to cope with anxiety and muster courage is peppered with bright, uncredited digital illustrations. The work offers an entertaining and fun new twist on a Christmas story that will give young readers useful tools to deal with stressful situations.

An enjoyable tale for children who want to be a bit braver.