Santa from Cincinnati (review)

Santa skeptics and true believers will be in full agreement on Barrett's picture book biography of Santa Claus: this tale of the big guy's origins is pure malarkey. Here Santa is a toy-obsessed boy in mid-twentieth-century Ohio with a tinkerer father who teaches him everything he knows in their basement workshop. Stuffed reindeer toted in a pillowcase, a penchant for emulating Dad's beard by gluing cotton balls to his face, an interest in efficient doorstep delivery systems as a newspaper carrier, and a kind heart for sharing his creations all point to Santa's coming career. He meets his dream girl, the future Mrs. Claus, at college; a realtor directs the newlyweds to a spacious domicile/workspace in the frozen north, they hire a staff of elves, and the rest is bogus history. The fun here is in the contrast between Santa's deadpan narration and the pictures—especially the mock-scrapbook photos—that track this Christmas megastar on his rise. There is a strong likelihood, however, that youngsters will spend so much time noting the obvious holes in Santa's story that the details of business development will be lost along the way. This title may not have "Christmas Classic" written on it, but after the fiftieth holiday re-reading of The Polar Express, this could be an entertaining diversion.