Dear Santa: The Letters Of James B. Dobbins($35.16Value)

Description

James Dobbins writes letters to Santa Claus, detailing what he and some family members want for Christmas and explaining his behavior of the past year. PreS-Gr. 2. Children's singer-songwriter Harley expands his picture-book oeuvre, which includes Sitting Down to Eat (1996) and Bear's All-Night Party (2001), with a humorous variation on a time-honored seasonal theme. Harley doesn't introduce a real story line but mines crowd-pleasing comedy from a boy's invented letters to Santa, which are full of references to familiar Christmas situations (wishes for wildly improbable presents; defensive explanations for behavioral slipups). Young readers caught up in their own holiday expectations will enjoy reading between the lines of the letters and find ample humor in Alley's cartoonlike watercolor vignettes exposing the truth behind many of the boy's avowals, particularly with regard to his treatment of his little sister. Despite a conclusion that will leave readers wanting more, this droll set piece neatly captures kids' giddy anticipation leading up to Christmas morning. Top it off with a Christmas letter-writing activity. Jennifer Mattson Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "A tasty holiday treat, equal parts hilarious and sweet." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "The droll humor is reflected in Alley s cheery illustrations." -- Kirkus Reviews