Santa's gotta go! Author: Barnes, Derrick | ||
Price: $23.78 |
Summary:
When Santa stays with the Mack family while he waits for his sleigh to be repaired, they discover that he isn't the best houseguest.
Illustrator: | Lovett, Courtney |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (09/01/23)
School Library Journal (+) (09/01/23)
The Hornbook (00/11/23)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 09/01/2023 PreS-Gr 3—After seeing a story on TV about a family hanging out with Santa Claus, the Mack family decides that they want to get Santa to stay at their house for a while. Their wish is granted when Santa's sleigh breaks down, and he has to wait three days for a replacement part to arrive. But hosting Santa is not the fun the family thought it would be: Santa eats all the food, makes noise late into the night playing music with guys from the neighborhood, and takes Mr. Mack's motorcycle out for a drive without asking. When Santa accidentally stomps on Mabel's new tablet, she "balled up her fists, scrunched her up her nose, and shouted: ‘Santa's Gotta Go!!!'" Fed up, the Macks spend Santa's last night at a hotel and are surprised by what they find when they return home. This contemporary, creative story portrays a Black Santa Claus who works out, sports tattoos, and only has a slight belly. Children will delight in many modern elements of the story, such as Santa ordering a part for his sleigh online using a laptop. Crisp illustrations transport readers into the comfortable and loving home of a young Black family and clearly convey the family's emotions on their faces: exhaustion, annoyance, anger, surprise, and more. VERDICT Children will love seeing an easily relatable Santa Claus and family. Pair this fun story with Billy Sharff's When Santa Came to Stay.—Florence Simmons - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.