When Santa Wrote Back, words by Nathan Christopher and pictures by Pablo Pino. Sourcebooks Kids, Raincoast.2025. $19.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Santa, 

If this is a joke, I am not Ho Ho Ho-ing.
The suit doesn't suit me. My bedroom is snowing! 
Your reindeer are grazing - they started at dawn! 
My dad's getting mad that our lawn is half gone.

The sleigh is illegally parked on the street,
and pigeons are pooping all over the seat.
PLEASE come and take all your stuff back today!
(And also, confirm: are my gifts on the way?)"

Jake's first letter to Santa sets the tone for the back-and-forth correspondence that the two have throughout the course of this timely book. Many kids will be writing their letters to Santa in days to come. Jake asks a few questions about the North Pole; then goes on to let Santa know he has cleaned his room a few times in the past year. He also suggests that Santa look carefully at the list Jake is including in his letter. 

It's easy to see that Jake is not likely the guy to inspire Santa with his many requests. When he doesn't get an immediate reply, Jake writes again. His list is now pages long. Santa's first reply lets Jake know he is not much impressed with the tone of his letters. He ends with an assurance that his elves will be given the task of trimming the list. And, he will be watching Jake carefully in days to come. 

Conveyed in playful rhyming verses, with Jake's demands escalating while Santa does his best to let Jake know he is reading his letters carefully and is disturbed by their tone. Jake suggests that Santa take a vacation. Santa takes Jake at his word, making him his interim replacement for the Christmas season. 

"And Jake is the boss now, if you can believe it. 
When Santa gets mail, now Jake will receive it. 
So send him your wishes, ideas and questions, 
all your complaints and outrageous suggestions."       

Arriving at school the following morning is an eye-opener for Jake when kids start sharing their Christmas wishes. He is surprised to hear the spirit of generosity his classmates display. Lesson learned. His final letter to Santa is just what the big man needs to hear. Life returns to normal. Jake's Santa gift is a big surprise. All is well. 

This is a fine read aloud for December fun in early years classrooms. Energetic digital art adds to the appeal. Back matter offers tips for writing a letter to Santa.                                                                                    

Dasher and the Polar Bear, written and illustrated by Matt Tavares. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2025. $24.99 ages 3 and up

 

"George watched in delight as Dasher bounded
through the snow and then ... she was flying! 

George gasped. "Utterly remarkable," he said. 
After a few moments, Dasher landed. "See?" 
she said. "That's all there is to it."

"Amazing," said George. He looked longingly 
up at the sky. "I wish I could fly," he said. 

Dasher had an idea. "Maybe I can teach you," 
she exclaimed."   

This is Dasher's third Christmas adventure. Flying through the night sky one evening, she stopped to land and enjoy the spectacular beauty of the northern lights. As she watched, she did not hear a large polar bear approaching. George was contrite that he had scared Dasher and apologized. Dasher explains that she is where she is because she has been out flying. What a surprise that is for the polar bear. When Dasher demonstrates the Christmas magic, George expresses that he wishes he, too, could fly. 

Dasher is a helper. She suggests that she will teach him how. After many tries, Dasher must return home and the lesson ends. At home, she tells her Mama about George. She wonders why Christmas magic doesn't work for him. There is no easy answer. Soon, it's Christmas Eve and the reindeer team must fly Santa to the many stops he makes through the night. When the final toys have been delivered, Santa explains that they have one more stop to make. 

What a lovely surprise it is for Dasher and her friend George! Just exactly the perfect ending for the joy that being kind and thoughtful brings ... the real magic of Christmas.                                                                            

The GIFT of WORDS, written and illustrated by Peter Reynolds. Orchard Books, Scholastic. 2025. $26.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Jerome loaded his sled 
full of his favorite words
and headed to the downtown park. 

He put a call out 
to everyone to join 
him in decorating 
a tree with words.
A holiday tree. 
Ekko barked excitedly." 

Jerome is back! I'm so happy to see him again. I met him first (as we all did) in 2018 when he started collecting all those words he loved. Now, he and his rescue Ekko are keen to begin collecting words for the holidays - words that reflect the peace, hope, and joy of the season. He wants to gift the words he collects to all those who have special meaning in his life. 

His upbeat mood soon turns somber as they walk together. The words he is seeing along their path give him no pleasure: buy, sale, no parking, cheap stuff, no dogs allowed. It immediately changes how the two are feeling about the task at hand. 

"These were not holiday words. 
They did not warm his heart. 
These words left Jerome feeling cold." 

There is nothing to add to his already empty notebook. Even listening to the words people around him share make him feel uncomfortable and sad. Wanting more, an idea sparks action. Can he find the words that will make everyone feel festive and joyous? 

Racing back to look through his original collection, Jerome finds exactly what he is looking for. His sled is loaded as he heads to the park. Once there, he invites all park-goers to join him in decorating a tree with 'joyful words'. Community friends and neighbors gather to fill that tree and share wishes for a happy holiday season. It's the most memorable way to bring friends together.                                                                             

Home for Margaret, written by Denise Davy and illustrated by Berengere Delaporte. Groundwood, 2025. $21.99 ages 5 and up

 

"The next day Emma buys a red scarf with 
matching mittens and hat. She puts them
into a bag with oranges, apples and blueberry 
muffins. Mom fills another bag with bottles 
of water and blankets, and they head to the 
forest."

Weather here this week has taken a big-time dip in temperature, reminding us that November is usually this cold. It should be a reminder that many people are going to have great difficulty keeping warm. This gentle story introduces a young girl and her mom who know the meaning of caring and compassion for others. 

Emma and her mom are spending time outside in the Cherry Hill Forest. Snow covers the ground and Emma almost buries herself in it as she makes an angel there. No one else is on the trail as they hike along. They listen to the geese as they begin their migration south; Mom offers birdseed to feed the chickadees; and Emma runs off to see what the blue thing is under a nearby tree. 

To her surprise, it is a tent that looks a lot like an igloo. Inside there is a woman who has nowhere else to go. She steps out, looking cold and tired. Emma introduces herself, and asks the woman her name. It is Margaret. Mom catches up, and introduces herself as well. Emma has some questions. Margaret explains that she lives where she is, and that she does get cold. Snow surprised with its early arrival. She returns to her tent. 

At home, Emma has more questions for her social worker mother. Mom answers those questions before checking with shelters to see if there is a spot available to house Margaret. No such luck; the shelters are full. Emma has a few ideas. The bag she offers Margaret is accepted with thanks. At Christmas, Emma and her mom return with a warm coat and Christmas dinner. They learn that Margaret didn't like all the noise at an overcrowded shelter, and is hoping for a place she can call her own. 

Margaret's tent remains when Emma returns to the forest in the spring. Margaret is not there. The summer and autumn bring no change. One autumn day as they return from their hike, Emma spots a woman on the sidewalk who might just be Margaret. Hoping to help her before winter sets in once more, Mom calls a new agency. This time, the news is much better. 

An author's note explains that Margaret was a real person, a homeless woman she met one cold winter night while on assignment for her newspaper. She also offers readers a look at homelessness, and explains why it often happens. Communities are working to make conditions better, and everyone can play some small part by supporting shelters and food banks.