MERRY CLAUS AND THE HOLIDAY DASH

Mrs. Claus has a lot to accomplish before she can enjoy the holidays in this picture book from Pineda and H.S.

Merry Claus, Santa’s wife of Mexican heritage, finds herself with a long to-do list that must be fulfilled before she can celebrate Nochebuena and Christmas Day. With the help of a diverse set of elves, she sets about cooking, planning, and even welding: “Merry knows that with each to-do done, they are one step closer to the party.” They take a break to play Lotería and eat cookies, but a rusty bolt derails their safety test of their sled. Merry happily fixes it before testing the toys and jumping onto the computer to develop software that will trace the best international route for Santa. This is one of her hardest jobs, and it’s immediately derailed by a storm that threatens their carefully planned night. Despite being so busy, along the way Merry realizes the importance of stopping to celebrate holidays with her loved ones. This fast-paced debut packs a lot of big events into a compact story. While there could be more narrative focus, it is still a festive tale that melds two different December traditions in a manner rarely seen in children’s literature. Villalpando’s illustrations show Mrs. Claus with brown skin and white hair, as well as a number of elves of different nationalities, skin tones, and abilities.

A story with an enjoyable twist on classic Christmas characters that’s innovative in its own understated way.