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CM . . .
. Volume X Number 12. . . . February 13, 2004
excerpt:
It was just a few days before Christmas, and the school was abuzz with preparation for the Christmas concert. The entire village and all of the parents would be there. Sarah doesn't want to partner up with Andrew in the concert because he smells and no one likes him. But after the concert, Sarah is bothered by the fact that Andrew didn't get a gift when "Santa" passed them out to all of the other kids. When Sarah asks her big sister about it, Jessie makes fun of her for not knowing that the presents really came from the parents and that there is no Santa. The next morning at breakfast, Sarah asks her grandmother about the news that there is no Santa. Granny expresses her disgust at the persistent rumor. Then Granny gives Sarah ten dollars and suggests she buy a gift for someone who might not get a present this Christmas. Sarah immediately thinks of Andrew and wants to buy him a winter coat so he can play outside at recess with everyone else. Sarah and Granny deliver the gift to Andrew's house in secret on Christmas Eve. The next morning, Santa leaves gifts and treats for everyone at Sarah's house, and they have a wonderful Christmas. When Sarah returns to school in January, she hears Andrew telling the boys on the playground how Santa brought him the new coat for Christmas. His words puzzle Sarah, and she asks her grandmother if that means there is no Santa because they were actually the ones that gave Andrew the coat. But Granny assures Sarah that they just helped Santa with that one because it is very hard for him to get everywhere and visit everyone in one night. After all, if there was no Santa, how could they be his helpers?
The illustrations and text are framed inside a Christmas coloured border. Some of the animals are illustrated with surprising detail; my favourite is the porcupine at the school concert. These brightly coloured illustrations will be appealing to young readers. On first read, I had doubts about this story, but, after a rave review from my seven year-old neighbour, I decided to read it again. Jen loved the pictures and really liked the feel good story. This is not a book I would choose to read aloud in a classroom setting largely due to its format, but it is an enjoyable independent read. Santa's Helper is a recommended choice for school and public libraries, and it would make a nice bedtime read to lead to a parent/child discussion on a sensitive subject. Recommended. As the result of another exciting Northern move, Catherine Hoyt is now living and working in Pond Inlet, Nunavut. She is a volunteer at one of the most northern public libraries in Canada.
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Children and adults will relate to this story because there always seems to be at least one child in each class who doesn't fit in. S/he doesn't fit in because s/he doesn't wear the right clothes, is the poor kid or is just different in some way. The author of this story uses animals as his characters, and you can guess who the skunk is. Santa's Helper is a nice little story with a moral about the meaning of Christmas and helping others.