Santa Baby by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

Ill. by Ada Grey. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408849484
(Ages: 4-8) Recommended. Children cannot get enough of Christmas themed books, and despite it being outside of their reality, Australian children seem to love reading stories about white, wintry Christmases. Bloomsbury is good at these heart-warming, feel-good tales and this one is no exception. A glittery front cover and fun, bold illustrations will draw children in and the warmth and magical quality of the narrative will keep them engaged. Christmas books can often be predictable or lack originality but this one gives us something a little unique - Santa has a son! The effortless rhyming text tells the story of Santa Baby and his baby reindeer friend Roo. They are too small to ride in the sleigh on Christmas Eve, but when Santa leaves some gifts behind they embark on a mission to save the day and deliver them. A few distractions and a sleigh mishap later, Santa Baby realises he isn't quite big enough to help his dad with delivering presents yet.
There are plenty of fun moments with magical sleigh rides, snowball fights, slippy sliding with the penguins and Christmas morning joy. Children will love escaping into this joyful world; a simple problem is easily solved and then everyone returns home to a warm house filled with love and presents. It truly evokes the warm feeling of being a child at Christmas time.
Nicole Nelson