The naughtiest reindeer by Nicki Greenberg
Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743313046.
(Age: 3+) Picture book. Christmas. Humour. Verse. When Rudolph is
unable to lead Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve, delivering presents
all over the world, it is his sister Ruby, who is offered as his
replacement. In rhyming stanzas of four lines each, fun develops as
the other reindeers learn who is to lead them.
'Ruby?!
cries Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and
Blitze.
Not Ruby!'
And I can imagine the listeners and the readers of this book
shouting that out, exclaiming all the frustration that the other
reindeers feel. Over the pages we see the mayhem that Ruby causes,
as she goes into and out of the houses and leaves them in a mess.
When Santa arrives home, he realises that he has missed one house,
and so sets off to get the presents there as quickly as possible.
The children on waking, find a sleeping Ruby in their house, and she
becomes their present. Santa is quite happy to leave Ruby with the
children and call back next year to see how she is.
A fun story about Christmas, readers will eagerly turn the pages
seeing what mayhem Ruby causes and how the story is resolved.
Fran Knight