Yikes, Santa-Claws by Pamela Butchart

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Bloomsbury, 2014, ISBN 9781408851388
(Age: Preschool - F) It's a refrain heard all over the world on THAT night... 'Santa Claus will soon be here so snuggle up in bed.' So with their stockings hanging on the tinsel-decorated bedpost, the two dinosaur children do just that. But the visitor who comes down their chimney is not who they expected - it's Santa-Claws, a green imposter who starts by falling down the chimney. 'Oh, toe-bells,' cried Santa-Claws, 'I've squashed everything in my sack!'
Woken by the noise, the dino-tots creep down the stairs and they are met with a disaster - this fake is eating the tree, rummaging through the presents, trying on dad's new reindeer pants and mum's sparkly red shoes. Nothing is safe, not even the cat. Then, leaving a trail of stinky poos, he moves on to the next house causing havoc and destruction until at last the families wake up. But even they can't stop him until...
This is a cute story that young readers will really enjoy listening to and they will appreciate good getting the best of bad. Brightly illustrated, it is eye-catching and the rhyming pattern provides a rhythm that moves it along at a nice pace. It's wonderful for maintaining that atmosphere of anticipation that comes with the magic of Christmas and would be a perfect addition to a Christmas countdown of stories.
Barbara Braxton

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