String the roof with cans,
so the sleigh can't land
undetected.
STEP 2: Rig the whole
living room with motion-
sensitive cameras.
STEP 3: Put milk and cookies
on a pressure-sensitive plate.
STEP 4: Practice staying
up late."
What child has not dreamed of staying awake long enough to see Santa on Christmas Eve? Many have tried, and all have failed. What about Santa's biggest fan of all - Freddy Melcher? No one loves Santa the way Freddy loves Santa. He wears his Santa outfit for every special occasion throughout the year; his room is filled with posters, action figures, a lamp, mugs, and a Santa lunchbox. Why, he even has - wait for it! - Santa underwear.
What he doesn't have is a photo of himself with Santa, "fresh out of the chimney." This year is going to be Freddy's year. He has a plan. Working tirelessly, with only the end result in mind, he has created an elaborate four step strategy to ensure he meets his favorite jolly man. All he needs to do is stay awake until Santa's arrival. OOPS! Classic fail!
It isn't until he hears a loud CRASH! that Freddy awakens, and rushes outside to be sure Santa is none the worse for wear, where he finds a lawn ornament headfirst in the snow. That's not all. Attached to the Santa figure is a note - NICE TRY, FREDDY!
"Santa has duped him and dashed!
Freddy was ... angry?
No, that's not it.
Embarrassed?
No, no. Not that either.
He was sobbing his heart out,
pounding the snow,
having the most broken tantrum
of his short life?
Well, actually Freddy felt ...
FANTASTIC."
Maybe not this year! But, wait until next ...
Awesome storytelling is matched in humor with Dan Santat's brilliant artwork created using ink, watercolor, and Adobe Photoshop, as well as wit and charm. He fills the spreads with bright color, perfect lighting, and endless details that will have readers returning again and again to see what they missed the last time they read it. The expressive faces constantly on display, the embellished blueprints, the impressive reaction to failure add the best kind of response to Betsy Bird's joyful words.
One can only hope Freddy will have time to develop a more viable plan in upcoming months, and try to prove his resolve again one year from now.
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