"Well, Santa visits about 200 million
homes on Christmas (depending on
who's been naughty or nice), and if
you figure two nice kids per house
getting presents each -jumpin' Jack
Frost! That's over a billion presents.
Line them up and they could stretch
three times around the Earth. Luckily,
Santa has designed his workshop to
handle this crazy workload."
As Santa makes preparations for a very long and tiring Christmas Eve, there are those children just beginning to question the impossibility of that monumental task. Our narrator Holly invites us into the workshop to see the logistics of making good on the promise to deliver gifts for children all over the world one night each year.
A delightfully designed double-page spread allows readers to see a multitude of elves at work on conveyor belts in a remarkably busy workshop. In the garage, Mrs. Santa is working with her elves to ensure Santa's sled in ready to make the 20-million-mile trip (to the moon and back five times) again this year. Each looks capable and competent as they add the finishing touches that are needed.
The enormity of the load the sled must carry is compared to 'carrying around three Empire State Buildings', and the speed at which it moves requires a good deal of preparation concerning each rooftop landing. Once the sleigh is safety-checked and ready to go, it's Santa's turn to get into his specially-designed suit. After a slight conveyor belt malfunction, Santa is ready with no time to spare. In fact, he is running a touch late.
"Will he go fast enough? Will the sleigh hold up
under all the weight? Will he be able to hit the
brakes perfectly on every rooftop? Don't worry.
We all know he will. Santa has it all figured out.
Kris Kringle is a Christmas superhero!"
Luckily for Santa, children and their families leave cookies and milk wherever he stops. It provides the much-needed energy to get the job done. At the end of the night, he is home at last. Isn't all that work on a child's behalf worth taking time to send a thank-you note once presents are opened and enjoyed on Christmas morning? Santa is sure to welcome every note.
Some readers will appreciate both the science and math of the telling, while others will be content to consider the pure magic of Santa's trip as the explanation for it. It's a tale that requires thoughtful consideration of its validity while the detailed artwork helps to keep the magic alive.
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