Santa’s First Christmas

As you were opening your Christmas presents on the morning of December 25, did you ever stop to wonder what Santa Claus was doing at that very moment? According to Mac Barnett, there was a time when Santa was such a workaholic that he didn’t stop to celebrate Christmas. Instead, after allowing himself to sleep in an extra 30 minutes on the morning following his night of world-wide toy deliveries, he would then get up and begin anew his task of creating the toys for next year’s delivery.

Santa’s pattern of behaviour might have continued to the present had not a passing polar bear queried Santa’s elves, asking, “Santa doesn’t do anything special [on Christmas Day]?” Embarrassed, the elves set about to change things, beginning with their bringing Santa breakfast in bed. Though Santa then wants to return to his usual work routine, the elves continue to introduce him to what many young readers would consider to be traditional elements of Christmas celebrations, including selecting and decorating a Christmas tree, hanging up stockings, putting up colourful lights on the exterior of houses, baking cookies to leave out for Santa, and experiencing a visit from Santa (the bear in a Santa suit), and then Santa’s opening the gifts that have been provided by the elves. Of course, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a big meal, and the elves did not stint in their food preparations:

For the table was set with mince pies
and pudding and biscuits and roasts,
Brussels sprouts, gravies, horse radish sauce,
sparkling crystal glasses filled with spiced cider,
a yule log,
poached pears,
candy canes,
several pies,
and a ginger stout cake
powdered with sugar,
six layers high.

As the elves and Santa (and the polar bear) sit around the table at day’s end and share a “Merry Christmas” toast, “Santa said, ‘We should do this every year.’”

The illustrations for Santa’s First Christmas, rendered in watercolour and gouache, have been provided by Halifax’s Sydney Smith, a two-time recipient of the Governor General’s Literary Award for Illustrated Children’s Books. His portrayal of the food-ladened table truly captures the sumptuousness of the meal, He also injects a bit of subtle humour into the gift-opening scene in which it appears that each of the elves has given Santa the very same gift - a fishing rod. (Who knew that Santa liked ice fishing?)

Santa’s First Christmas would a welcome addition to school and public libraries’ Christmas collections.