Review by Booklist Review
This lengthy poem, originally published in 1957, is given fresh life with jolly new illustrations. The narration refers back to a specific Christmas when Santa decided to take a holiday from delivering presents. When the news breaks, children dissolve in tears, except for Ignatius Thistlewhite, who inspires children the world over to unite in a giant campaign to give gifts to Santa. Santa is understandably moved by the outpouring and has the elves stack all the toys that were intended for the children in the sleigh to make room for the new stuff. Santa then realizes he wasn't meant to have a vacation, and since the sleigh is packed and ready to go, he happily flies off to make his deliveries. Colorful cartoon illustrations give a sense of the activity without being overwhelmed by the magnitude of contributions collected for Santa. The length of this poem makes it inappropriate for a traditional storytime, but it could be used one-on-one or in a classroom situation.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
McGinley's 1956 Christmas story gets a refresh with gouache illustrations by Manders that suggest cartoons of the era. When Santa decides he's due for his "first vacation in a thousand years," a boy named Ignatius Thistlewhite convinces the bereft children of the world to give gifts to Santa. Though the verse shows its age in spots (a "boy from Siam" sends a Siamese kitten), it's a zippy read-aloud, and Manders handily conjures a time when a shiny red bike under the tree is the best thing a boy could ask for. Ages 6-9. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-This new version of McGinley's poem, originally published in 1957, is illustrated with gouache and pencil cartoon artwork that highlights the humor in the text. Santa decides to take a vacation, his first in a thousand years. When the children of the world get the news, most give way to tears. Not Ignatius Thistlewhite, however. He organizes a movement to send gifts to Santa, who is so moved by this response that he gives up his plans and gets back on the sleigh. While the story is a tad long for most storytimes, it nonetheless begs to be shared aloud.-Virginia Walter, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Santa Claus decides one year to take his first vacation: Crick in my back, / a cold that lingers, / aches in my toes and all ten fingers, / bit of lumbago, / touch of gout, / climbing down chimneys is simply out. The reaction of children around the world surprises Santa in this story that highlights the selfless spirit of the season. McGinley's rhyming text was originally published with illustrations by Kurt Werth (rev. 12/57) and later inspired the classic Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated TV special of the same name. This new edition maintains all of the original's read-aloud charm while accentuating its playfulness with Manders's vibrant gouache and pencil illustrations. cynthia k. ritter (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
McGinley's 1956 text returns with a huge trim and new, robust illustrations. When an exhausted Santa can't face yet another Christmas Eve, he announces that he'll take that year off. Appalled but sympathetic, children from around the world deliver presents and letters to Santa to show their appreciation for his past service, and by Christmas Eve Santa has had a change of heart. The rollicking, rhyming text is on the long side but good fun, with some delightful tongue-twisters and felicitous rhyming pairs. The cartoony illustrations have a '50s comic-book feel, and Santa himself has a rough-around-the-edges (sometimes just rough) look. For today's kids used to countless twists on the St. Nick shtick, this nostalgia trip may be a bit ho-ho-hum, but read aloud with enough energy it may hit the spot. (Picture book. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
