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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Have you heard of the story of how Santa came to be? The one with fairies, Knooks, giants, Goozzle goblins and three hundred fire-breathing dragons? I hadn’t!! From the magical mind of the man who brought us The Wizard of Oz comes the fantastical, unique telling of how the magical, mystical life of Santa Claus.
Why hasn’t this been made into a movie?? Why haven’t I ever heard of this before?
The story starts with the adoption of Claus, an abandoned mortal, in the Forest of Burzee by the kind-hearted nymph, Necile. Deciding his fate to bring joy to children, we learn of how the first toy came to be, the first journey with reindeer, and the epic battle between the kind immortals and the evil Agwas who seek to eradicate joy from the world.
I think reading this each Christmas will become a tradition for me!
Why hasn’t this been made into a movie?? Why haven’t I ever heard of this before?
The story starts with the adoption of Claus, an abandoned mortal, in the Forest of Burzee by the kind-hearted nymph, Necile. Deciding his fate to bring joy to children, we learn of how the first toy came to be, the first journey with reindeer, and the epic battle between the kind immortals and the evil Agwas who seek to eradicate joy from the world.
I think reading this each Christmas will become a tradition for me!
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Aside for wanting to read this book because of the animated special from the 80s, the other reason I read this story is because I wanted to see what inspired William Joyce. The parts that were cut from the animated special were small but epic, and I can see how those sections germinated within Joyce's mind to create his guardians series.
Overall, this was not a great book, but it's a quick read, and if you're looking for something fanciful to read to your children this Christmas, you can't go wrong within its pages. It's definitely intended for children, though I will warn you that there is a battle between good and evil in the middle of the story, and evil dies. Frankly, if the war had been included in the animated special, the story might have become a memorable classic instead of an obscure final chapter in Rankin/Bass productions. I imagine budgetary restraints occluded that.
The weakness of this book is that Baum set out to create an origin story for every aspect of Santa Claus. He tied them all together into this one fanciful tale, but it reads more like an encyclopedia entry than a narrative at times. There are a great deal of creative images and whimsical elements to the story, however, that should entertain, and the book should be read just to understand Santa Claus lore of the twentieth century. So much was borrowed from this work. If you are hoping for a tie-in with Jesus Christ, thought, you will be disappointed. This is a secular exploration of Santa Claus, not a religious one. As such, it stands up quite well as a modern middle grade novel with only a few, well-understood anachronisms that children familiar with Santa Claus lore shouldn't be confused by.
I'm torn between ★★★½☆ and ★★★★☆, but because I will likely reread this story again one day, I'll give it ★★★★☆.
Overall, this was not a great book, but it's a quick read, and if you're looking for something fanciful to read to your children this Christmas, you can't go wrong within its pages. It's definitely intended for children, though I will warn you that there is a battle between good and evil in the middle of the story, and evil dies. Frankly, if the war had been included in the animated special, the story might have become a memorable classic instead of an obscure final chapter in Rankin/Bass productions. I imagine budgetary restraints occluded that.
The weakness of this book is that Baum set out to create an origin story for every aspect of Santa Claus. He tied them all together into this one fanciful tale, but it reads more like an encyclopedia entry than a narrative at times. There are a great deal of creative images and whimsical elements to the story, however, that should entertain, and the book should be read just to understand Santa Claus lore of the twentieth century. So much was borrowed from this work. If you are hoping for a tie-in with Jesus Christ, thought, you will be disappointed. This is a secular exploration of Santa Claus, not a religious one. As such, it stands up quite well as a modern middle grade novel with only a few, well-understood anachronisms that children familiar with Santa Claus lore shouldn't be confused by.
I'm torn between ★★★½☆ and ★★★★☆, but because I will likely reread this story again one day, I'll give it ★★★★☆.
Really enjoyed reading this book it preparation for Christmas. Would have liked some of the stories to have more detail to them but enjoyed that each chapter read like a different story so this would make a good bedtime storybook.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Very cute little story about how Santa Claus became immortal.
This book is wonderful and beautiful all at once. It is written in the style of an old-fashioned fairytale, both brief and descriptive all at once. The illustrations in this edition are beautiful.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced