santa calls

my favorite all-time children's christmas book is santa calls .

this book was written and illustrated by william joyce, and i love everything about it from the super-cool 'art-deco'-esque illustrations to the unique way it's written. the wording is one-of-a-kind and full of interesting syllables and sentences. i worried at first that my younger children wouldn't appreciate it. boy, was i wrong--mia will sit through a reading and then ask for it again as soon as we come to the end, which doesn't usually happen unless the book involves doggies or princesses.

the story explores the relationship between art atchinson aimesworth and his sister, esther. they also have a young commanche brave, spaulding littlefeets, as their sidekick (don't we all?) and everyone lives together in abeliene, texas, with their aunt and uncle who run a wild west show and animal phantasmagoria---HELLO?? genius.

when i first got the book, i enjoyed it, but it wasn't gonna change my life. that is, until i got to the end of the book--the last 2 pages consist of two letters , one from esther to santa, and another which is a response from the big guy himself. they appear to be the real things -- conveniently pasted into the back cover of the book! after reading them, i realized that i had fallen head over heels in love.

if you have children who have a hard time getting along with each other (is there any other kind?) or experience a little sibling rivalry at your house, THIS is the book for you.

clickity here to look inside and see an excerpt.