Yikes, Santa Claws! by Pamela Butchart and Sam Lloyd

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Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 978408851388
(Age: Preschool) Christmas. Verse. Vibrantly illustrated, this story of a stand-in Santa Claus will cause a ripple of mirth amongst younger readers, as they hear of the silly dinosaur and his antics on Christmas Eve. When he arrives at the stegosaur house, he munches on the Christmas tree, rips open the presents and tries them all on, opens all the crackers and eats the Christmas turkey in one gulp. Even when he goes outside he leaves a trail of poo behind. The children trot upstairs to tell their mum and together they follow the mayhem he has caused, asking who will stop him.
The real Santa Claus arrives in the nick of time, and puts things to rights, causing Santa Claws to feel ashamed. He then tries to redeem himself by cleaning up the poo, and mending the presents he has broken. As Santa's helper he has made sure the children enjoy their special day.
Told in verse, the lines hum along and will be enriched read aloud. The background will be a neat starting point for discussions about Christmas and the customs surrounding this event.
Fran Knight

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