Ho ho ho! by Kathy Creamer

This is a festive (almost) wordless graphic picture book with a unique twist at the end. The illustrations follow Santa as he loads up his sleigh and heads up into the skies. 'No chimney', he thinks as he looks at a little house in a snowy winter landscape. So through the front door he goes, finally finding little Lily fast asleep in bed. Or is she asleep? Hearing Santa's 'ho, ho, ho' as he leaves, Lily runs outside to greet him. But then something strange starts happening: a shiny blade is slicing throught the snowy ground. The reader is left a bit confused until all is revealed on the last pages; the story is taking place on a Christmas cake which is being cut into by a happy family. 

This is an interesting tale which will amuse Christmas lovers, simply by the fact that it features Santa and lots of shiny presents. It might require a little explanation for younger readers though, as it is somewhat difficult to understand what is happening and how the two worlds of the story fit together (the world on the cake and the real world). The illustrations are simple but fun and filled with energy. 

Themes: Christmas.

Nicole Nelson