Status
Available
Local notes
PB Bau
Collection
Genres
Publication
Dover Publications (1976), Paperback, 208 pages
Description
A human foundling child, adopted by a wood-nymph and raised by the creatures who inhabit a magical forest, grows up to be the immortal Santa Claus.
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1902
Physical description
208 p.; 5.51 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member drbubbles
Meh. It's an unremarkable late Victorian children's tale. Merely unremarkable (and I'm finding I don't much care for the late-Vic-children's-tale as a genre, so "unremarkable" counts against it in my book). Employs a non-traditional "pantheon" of magical beings (knooks? ryls?) in the regular
Show More
(non-magical) world, with which I did not connect. I thought there were lots of inconsistencies, large and small, and several things that just were not credible (not only did Santa invent toys, but he continues to monopolize absolutely this "cottage" {hee hee} industry). Plus some Victorian social bias slips through (e.g., the rich children speak well, the poor ones do not). Show Less
LibraryThing member PamelaDLloyd
I owned a copy of this book when I was a child and I still, many, many years later, mourn its loss. This was one of my favorite books and I can't begin to say how beautiful a story I find it. I love the way that Baum mingled fairies and animal wonder tales with the Santa Claus mythology to create a
Show More
new version of the story.The version I owned as a child was a very early edition and had beautiful illustrations, but I don't know if it was a first edition; that edition was illustrated by Mary Cowles Clark. My local library has copies illustrated by Michael Hague. I think he's a wonderful illustrator, but I imprinted on the pictures from my childhood. Show Less
LibraryThing member owlcroft
The main story, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, is surprisingly well-written; it's not going to win a literary prize, now or ever, but it rises well above the routine and the childishly saccarine:
"Who are you that call on us?" demanded one, in a gruff voice.
"The friend of your brothers in
"Have you the sign?" asked another.
"Yes," said Claus.
They cut his bonds, and with his free arms he made the secret sign of the Knooks.
OK, it's not Homer. But I've read distinctly worse in books supposedly aimed at adults and adults only. More generally, it is an interestingly diferent approach to the story of Santa Claus, and gives it all a whisker more dignity than, say, the greeting-card industry. It's a fine book to read to, for, or with a child, but is entertaining in its way for just an adult alone.
The brief sequel, A Kidnapped Santa Claus, is unexceptional but unexceptionable, and this convenient omnibus volume gives you both for pretty much the price of either alone.
"Who are you that call on us?" demanded one, in a gruff voice.
"The friend of your brothers in
Show More
Burzee," answered Claus. "I have been brought here by my enemies, the Awgwas, and left to perish miserably. Yet now I implore your help to release me and to send me home again.""Have you the sign?" asked another.
"Yes," said Claus.
They cut his bonds, and with his free arms he made the secret sign of the Knooks.
OK, it's not Homer. But I've read distinctly worse in books supposedly aimed at adults and adults only. More generally, it is an interestingly diferent approach to the story of Santa Claus, and gives it all a whisker more dignity than, say, the greeting-card industry. It's a fine book to read to, for, or with a child, but is entertaining in its way for just an adult alone.
The brief sequel, A Kidnapped Santa Claus, is unexceptional but unexceptionable, and this convenient omnibus volume gives you both for pretty much the price of either alone.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bibliophyte
I should have been able to read this in a ridiculously short amount of time; I mean, it's a tiny book. Plus, I always try to finish books on principle. However, I couldn't finish this one. I love the story's premise and the fairies, nymphs and other magical creatures were delightful. But I can't
Show More
get past L. Frank Baum's writing style. I find it stifling and looking back, I suppose I've always found his writing stifling because I've never been able to get the whole way through one of his books. Every time I even think about finishing this book I cringe, so I think I'm just going to cut myself a break and go read something more enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member bgknighton
A delightful children's fantasy. A reminder of what made Baum's books so enjoyable. The older style of writing may take some getting used to, but it is well worth it. By removing Santa Claus to the realm of folklore, he can explain who Santa Claus is, how he does what he does and why he does what
Show More
he does without getting involved with the conflict of the religion of Christmas. You can have both. Show Less
LibraryThing member mstrust
This begins with the discovery of the human baby by nymph Necile, who asks for permission from the Master Woodsman, a ruler of immortals, to keep the mortal child for her own. Named Claus, the boy is raised by all the fairies and magical creatures until the day he realizes that he must go live
I didn't know Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz, had written anything else. This was published in 1902, well before Coca-Cola provided us with the Santa we think of now, so I don't know how much Baum based his Santa on folktales and how much was his own creation. For instance, the reindeer names are Flossie, Glossie, Racer, Pacer, Reckless, Speckless, Fearless, Peerless, Ready and Steady.
This is written like a very old-fashioned fairy tale and was slow going at first until I realized that this book must have been intended to be read out loud to children.
Show More
among other humans. He discovers a talent for toy-making, an empathy for all children, a way to carry his toys across the world and how simple B&E is.I didn't know Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz, had written anything else. This was published in 1902, well before Coca-Cola provided us with the Santa we think of now, so I don't know how much Baum based his Santa on folktales and how much was his own creation. For instance, the reindeer names are Flossie, Glossie, Racer, Pacer, Reckless, Speckless, Fearless, Peerless, Ready and Steady.
This is written like a very old-fashioned fairy tale and was slow going at first until I realized that this book must have been intended to be read out loud to children.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JaneeKline
One of my all time favorite books. when each of my kids entered 3rd grade I would buy a copy and donate it to the class to be read aloud by the teacher.
LibraryThing member bookworm12
This is a sweet book introducing the world to the man behind the bright red suit. From the time he's abandoned as a baby and adopted by fairies, to his first trip through the countryside with reindeer, every aspect of the Santa Claus myth is explained. I loved that at its heart it's a story of
Show More
seeing the harsh reality in the world and deciding to be the change that you want. Santa Claus is depicted as a generous, loving man who wants to make children happy. The origins of his toy making skills and chimney entrances are explained in a playful and satisfying way. Such a wonderful Christmas tale! Show Less
LibraryThing member flamingrosedrakon
This book has been made into a cartoon movie that I came upon one Christmas season but it was only bits and pieces that I saw. I was caught by the movie but unfortunately I couldn't get the channel to tell me what the show was nor could I figure it out so it disappeared back into the darkness of
A few years ago my sister found out that it was actually a book and the author while she chose to gift this book for me for my birthday instead of the movie. I have read it and enjoyed it while hoping still someday that I will be able to finish the movie.
L. Frank Baum has never been much of an author for me although I must say his books are much better than the movie adaptations. As the knowledge came to me for the author I was disappointed a bit. Just like his famous series this book is inhabited with creatures, plants and beings that have come from Baum's creative mind. They are based upon life but given a new meaning that defies the archaic beliefs such as fairies that aren't repulsed by metal but instead act as guardians of mankind.
What caught my attention with this book is the fact that this book is about the generosity of man and that are efforts are never in main. It gives a very reasonable and sturdy framework that seems to answer all the questions that one may have for Santa Claus including his origins, how he has lived for so long and why certain Christmas traditions have come into being. It goes into the history of children having been forsaken or neglected by their parents until one person (the famous Claus) chose to have pity and make it his mission to ease the troubles of their life until they are made by nature to take it up.
This is definitely no Nativity tale and mentions nothing of the Lord Jesus but Baum still admits that even in his world of immortals there is a Supreme Being who is still in charge.
The plot and writing is simple to follow while the story is quite beautiful in my opinion. This is definitely one of my favorite Christmas-time tales. And for me it is a classic!
Show More
oblivion for me even though I kept thinking about it.A few years ago my sister found out that it was actually a book and the author while she chose to gift this book for me for my birthday instead of the movie. I have read it and enjoyed it while hoping still someday that I will be able to finish the movie.
L. Frank Baum has never been much of an author for me although I must say his books are much better than the movie adaptations. As the knowledge came to me for the author I was disappointed a bit. Just like his famous series this book is inhabited with creatures, plants and beings that have come from Baum's creative mind. They are based upon life but given a new meaning that defies the archaic beliefs such as fairies that aren't repulsed by metal but instead act as guardians of mankind.
What caught my attention with this book is the fact that this book is about the generosity of man and that are efforts are never in main. It gives a very reasonable and sturdy framework that seems to answer all the questions that one may have for Santa Claus including his origins, how he has lived for so long and why certain Christmas traditions have come into being. It goes into the history of children having been forsaken or neglected by their parents until one person (the famous Claus) chose to have pity and make it his mission to ease the troubles of their life until they are made by nature to take it up.
This is definitely no Nativity tale and mentions nothing of the Lord Jesus but Baum still admits that even in his world of immortals there is a Supreme Being who is still in charge.
The plot and writing is simple to follow while the story is quite beautiful in my opinion. This is definitely one of my favorite Christmas-time tales. And for me it is a classic!
Show Less
LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
In The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, L. Frank Baum creates a unique life history for the jolly old elf from his infancy through to his achievement of immortality. Baum's Santa lives in a valley adjacent to Oz and interacts with fairy folk like those in his more famous body of work. Like the
Show More
Oz stories, Baum's writing here is characterized by unadulterated joy and optimism, without condescending to his audience. Indeed, both adults and children can enjoy his writing. While certain elements of Baum's Santa Claus differ from what has become the standard, the essence of the character is still present. Parents can easily add this book to the list of traditional holiday books to share with their children while Oz enthusiasts will delight in Santa's backstory after seeing him in The Road to Oz, the fifth book in the Oz series. Show Less
LibraryThing member lauralkeet
As the title implies, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus serves up Santa's "origin story" from being found by nymphs as an infant, to being raised by them, and then going out into the world to make life better for children everywhere. Told by L. Frank Baum, the style is similar to the Oz books,
This book is one of six Penguin Christmas Classics, published in beautiful hardcover editions. I spotted these in a shop last year, and almost gave in to temptation; this one was a gift from a Secret Santa this year. I have a feeling I will be buying more ...
Show More
and explains everything: why Santa makes toys, how the reindeer got involved, why he goes down the chimney, and so on. I mean, who doesn't want to know how this all works?This book is one of six Penguin Christmas Classics, published in beautiful hardcover editions. I spotted these in a shop last year, and almost gave in to temptation; this one was a gift from a Secret Santa this year. I have a feeling I will be buying more ...
Show Less
LibraryThing member flying_monkeys
Meh. At times charming, other times dry. It almost felt like Baum was going down a list of characteristics of Santa Claus he wanted to include and, one by one, marked them off as he fit them into his story. Also, I don't know why, but I had a hard time believing the Fairies as such benign, helpful
Recommended to parents, caregivers and/or teachers who want to read a Christmas-themed tale to their younger kids during the holiday season. Adults, especially fans of the Oz books, might find themselves underwhelmed.
3 stars
Show More
peoples.Recommended to parents, caregivers and/or teachers who want to read a Christmas-themed tale to their younger kids during the holiday season. Adults, especially fans of the Oz books, might find themselves underwhelmed.
3 stars
Show Less
LibraryThing member regularguy5mb
I absolutely love Baum's take on Santa Claus. I remember seeing the Rankin & Bass animated special based on this years ago, but never realized it was a book until years later when I saw it on a shelf in my local bookstore. Even then, it didn't click until I started reading it and got into the story
The book originally drew me in when I saw it was written by L. Frank Baum. How could I pass up a book about the life of Santa written by the creator of Oz? For a few years now, I've wanted to make reading this a regular Christmas tradition, but I keep getting sidetracked by other things, so this year I was determined to return to Claus's fairy tale origins.
Instead of any sort of religious angle, Baum goes for much more fairy tale and folklore. He explains Claus's connections to the magical, how he first started to make toys, how he started to deliver, how the Christmas Eve date was chosen, and even how the traditions of stockings and Christmas trees began. Baum also covers how Claus became immortal and even includes a great battle between the forces of Good and Evil for the sake of this one very special man who has become such a figure in our storytelling.
Baum's version is the best I've ever seen, and that's why I want to make it a regular tradition to read it, either to myself or others, each and every Christmas. I'd also like to watch the Rankin & Bass version again some time if I can find it.
Show More
that certain elements seemed familiar to me.The book originally drew me in when I saw it was written by L. Frank Baum. How could I pass up a book about the life of Santa written by the creator of Oz? For a few years now, I've wanted to make reading this a regular Christmas tradition, but I keep getting sidetracked by other things, so this year I was determined to return to Claus's fairy tale origins.
Instead of any sort of religious angle, Baum goes for much more fairy tale and folklore. He explains Claus's connections to the magical, how he first started to make toys, how he started to deliver, how the Christmas Eve date was chosen, and even how the traditions of stockings and Christmas trees began. Baum also covers how Claus became immortal and even includes a great battle between the forces of Good and Evil for the sake of this one very special man who has become such a figure in our storytelling.
Baum's version is the best I've ever seen, and that's why I want to make it a regular tradition to read it, either to myself or others, each and every Christmas. I'd also like to watch the Rankin & Bass version again some time if I can find it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tlesr
Beautifully illustrated book of how Santa Claus came to be. Not the usual story - beginning with the fantasical fairytale of St. Nick being raised by woodland fairies to finding reindeer to building toys and finally becomming immortal.
LibraryThing member Robert.Zimmermann
I’ve read the first few Oz books from Baum, and I’m enjoying that series. It’s fun and imaginative. That’s what I thought of this book as well, though only to a lesser extent. That’s not to say this book is worse than those of the Oz series, it’s just a different side of Baum’s
The Santa Claus mythology we know today varies from culture to culture and generation to generation. While I’ve long outgrown the holiday traditions from my childhood, this book didn’t lack in a story to draw me in and think about Santa again in my 26th year of life. Baum, like he’s known for, was able to create in a short novel, a vast world full of magic and creatures that life just outside of the human realm. Some elements are recognizable, and others may have been Baum’s own creation. not being a Santa scholar, I’ll take it as what it is, an origin story of Baum’s own mind. A refreshing one for me as a reader who grew up with Tim Allen’s Santa and many other very different versions.
I’m glad I finally picked this one up. I continue to enjoy Baum’s stories for children and only wish I discovered them at a much earlier age to have enjoyed them all by this time in my life.
Show More
writing.The Santa Claus mythology we know today varies from culture to culture and generation to generation. While I’ve long outgrown the holiday traditions from my childhood, this book didn’t lack in a story to draw me in and think about Santa again in my 26th year of life. Baum, like he’s known for, was able to create in a short novel, a vast world full of magic and creatures that life just outside of the human realm. Some elements are recognizable, and others may have been Baum’s own creation. not being a Santa scholar, I’ll take it as what it is, an origin story of Baum’s own mind. A refreshing one for me as a reader who grew up with Tim Allen’s Santa and many other very different versions.
I’m glad I finally picked this one up. I continue to enjoy Baum’s stories for children and only wish I discovered them at a much earlier age to have enjoyed them all by this time in my life.
Show Less
LibraryThing member regularguy5mb
I decided last year to make it my yearly tradition to read The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus at Christmas, and so far I'm going strong two years in a row.
This particular copy was a library sale find, and I originally intended to add it to my Little Free Library, but the introduction and
This particular copy was a library sale find, and I originally intended to add it to my Little Free Library, but the introduction and
Show More
afterword are different in this edition, so I think I'll keep it. This, of course, is turning into an awful precedent, and might end with me owning several copies of the same book. Show Less
LibraryThing member BraveNewBks
Cute and quaint.
LibraryThing member CassieWinters
Overall I enjoyed this book. It was a whimsical fairy tale that told us various elements of how Santa came to be. It was an interesting lens to see the Christmas world through. Full review forthcoming on my blog.
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
So I was reading my son Little Wizard Stories of Oz as part of our slowly working our way through all the Oz novels. It was during the run-up to Christmas, and out of nowhere my son turns to me and says, "Is there an Oz book about Christmas?"
Well, as a matter of fact... kind of! I had kind of
He was game for it. I did look into upgrading my copy, but though there is a Puffin edition out there that is probably nicer than my undated (but probably from 1986) New American Library edition, it didn't seem like it would be so much nicer that it would be worth the outlay.
Baum has a different style here than he does in the Oz books: less straightforward, more consciously old-fashioned. While most of the Oz books are what Farah Mendlesohn would call portal/quest fantasies, this one is more of an immersive fantasy. (Or if it is a portal/quest fantasy, it's about someone from the magical world going on a quest in our world.) This means we don't have a viewpoint character like Dorothy or Trot or even Tip or Ojo who doesn't understand the magical world; I wasn't always sure how much my son was getting out of it, though I did my best to slow down and explain things. He was very into it; we raced through chapters while traveling for Christmas.
The book seeks to explain the cultural mythos around Santa: why does he travel the world giving out toys, why does he have reindeer, why can he live forever, how can he go so fast, where do Christmas trees come from, why does he go down chimneys, why do we hang stockings. Baum isn't interested in real history; he clearly takes the current version of Santa and extrapolate backwards. So we learn that in fact Santa invented the concept of the toy! It's a little goofy but I liked it, and book takes place in a sort of non-place, a vaguely European pre-modern environment. (In the Tik-Tok map, the Forest of Burzee is right across the Deadly Desert from Oz, but that is an awkward fit with what we hear here, where it is clearly surrounded by nonmagical lands.) Like Baum was very consciously aiming to do with Wonderful Wizard, it's a fairy tale for the twentieth century, but in a very different way.
It does read a bit off to the modern reader, though, because some elements of the Santa Claus mythos were not yet codified in 1902; Thomas Nast placed Santa at the North Pole in the late nineteenth century, but that must not have been a given yet as of 1902, because Baum's Santa lives in the Laughing Valley of Hohaho. This bothered my son, but he ended up deciding that Santa must move to the North Pole later. Similarly, though Baum uses the idea from Clement C. Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas" that Santa's sleigh was drawn by a team of reindeer, he uses a different set, with ten: Flossie and Glossie, Racer and Pacer, Reckless and Speckless, Fearless and Peerless, and Ready and Steady.
The Nome King is a much friendlier fellow than the one from the Oz books. This is easy enough to explain (he would have been perfectly nice to the Oz characters if they hadn't wanted to rescue the Royal Family of Ev from him), but what is less easy to explain is that he has children! The Oz wiki suggests that this Nome King is the father of Roquat, the Nome King from the Oz novels.
It was fun to revisit the book; it has a certain charm. But it has less dialogue than Oz novels, with lots of exposition about Santa's life, and was thus less enjoyable to read aloud, especially to a three-year-old.
Well, as a matter of fact... kind of! I had kind of
Show More
harbored ambitions of reading Baum's Oz-adjacent fantasies to him, but never did I imagine he would give me such an opening! In 1902, after The Wizard of Oz but before the Oz books became a regular thing with The Marvelous Land of Oz, Baum wrote The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. The book features the Forest of Burzee, also mentioned in Queen Zixi of Ix and which appears on the Oz map that first appeared in the Tik-Tok of Oz end papers; the Nome King, who would later of course appear in Ozma of Oz and many others has a small appearance; and this version of Santa reappeared in The Road to Oz. So though, no, there was no Oz in this book, the book took place near to Oz, and connected to Oz, I established at great pains, even showing my son an Oz map and pointing out where Burzee was.He was game for it. I did look into upgrading my copy, but though there is a Puffin edition out there that is probably nicer than my undated (but probably from 1986) New American Library edition, it didn't seem like it would be so much nicer that it would be worth the outlay.
Baum has a different style here than he does in the Oz books: less straightforward, more consciously old-fashioned. While most of the Oz books are what Farah Mendlesohn would call portal/quest fantasies, this one is more of an immersive fantasy. (Or if it is a portal/quest fantasy, it's about someone from the magical world going on a quest in our world.) This means we don't have a viewpoint character like Dorothy or Trot or even Tip or Ojo who doesn't understand the magical world; I wasn't always sure how much my son was getting out of it, though I did my best to slow down and explain things. He was very into it; we raced through chapters while traveling for Christmas.
The book seeks to explain the cultural mythos around Santa: why does he travel the world giving out toys, why does he have reindeer, why can he live forever, how can he go so fast, where do Christmas trees come from, why does he go down chimneys, why do we hang stockings. Baum isn't interested in real history; he clearly takes the current version of Santa and extrapolate backwards. So we learn that in fact Santa invented the concept of the toy! It's a little goofy but I liked it, and book takes place in a sort of non-place, a vaguely European pre-modern environment. (In the Tik-Tok map, the Forest of Burzee is right across the Deadly Desert from Oz, but that is an awkward fit with what we hear here, where it is clearly surrounded by nonmagical lands.) Like Baum was very consciously aiming to do with Wonderful Wizard, it's a fairy tale for the twentieth century, but in a very different way.
It does read a bit off to the modern reader, though, because some elements of the Santa Claus mythos were not yet codified in 1902; Thomas Nast placed Santa at the North Pole in the late nineteenth century, but that must not have been a given yet as of 1902, because Baum's Santa lives in the Laughing Valley of Hohaho. This bothered my son, but he ended up deciding that Santa must move to the North Pole later. Similarly, though Baum uses the idea from Clement C. Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas" that Santa's sleigh was drawn by a team of reindeer, he uses a different set, with ten: Flossie and Glossie, Racer and Pacer, Reckless and Speckless, Fearless and Peerless, and Ready and Steady.
The Nome King is a much friendlier fellow than the one from the Oz books. This is easy enough to explain (he would have been perfectly nice to the Oz characters if they hadn't wanted to rescue the Royal Family of Ev from him), but what is less easy to explain is that he has children! The Oz wiki suggests that this Nome King is the father of Roquat, the Nome King from the Oz novels.
It was fun to revisit the book; it has a certain charm. But it has less dialogue than Oz novels, with lots of exposition about Santa's life, and was thus less enjoyable to read aloud, especially to a three-year-old.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Mrsmommybooknerd
I loved this book so much. I loved the story, the new edition and the memories its congers when I read it. It is like being able to bring up Christmas in my mind the minute I pick it up. I think the new design is so fun and pretty too. It will make a great book for the bookshelf.
LibraryThing member thornton37814
L. Frank Baum imagines the back story of Santa Claus beginning with his discovery as a babe in a forest mentioned in [The Wizard of Oz]. He takes us through his mentorship by the Master Woodworker and to the beginnings of his own toy making for children. He eventually spends Christmas eve with his
Show More
reindeer team delivering toys to stockings and Christmas trees. Then there is more! House designs change, and those chimneys aren't wide enough. It's a fun romp when you are in the mood for a little bit of whimsy! I received a copy through Library Thing Early Reviewers program with the expectation of an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member hredwards
Received from Early Readers program.
This is a Santa Claus origin story from the author of the OZ books L. Frank Baum. It is a very quaint little book and has some very sweet little fantasy elements. Would be a good little series of bedtime stories for young children leading up to Christmas. It is a
This is a Santa Claus origin story from the author of the OZ books L. Frank Baum. It is a very quaint little book and has some very sweet little fantasy elements. Would be a good little series of bedtime stories for young children leading up to Christmas. It is a
Show More
little dated but not too much, and I enjoyed reading it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Micareads
How did Santa come to be? How does he live forever? This wonderful book answers all these questions and more. Santa was a foundling raised by a nymph named Necile who loved him like her own. Throughout his life, Claus is befriended by many immortals who make his life better. When he decides to live
Growing up, I watched the cartoon by Rankin/Bass based on this short story and it quickly became one of my favorites. I found myself smiling throughout this story and decided that I will be purchasing a copy for my shelves. If you are looking for a quick endearing read about Santa and his origins...this is the book I highly recommend.
Show More
among other mortals, Claus finds his true calling.Growing up, I watched the cartoon by Rankin/Bass based on this short story and it quickly became one of my favorites. I found myself smiling throughout this story and decided that I will be purchasing a copy for my shelves. If you are looking for a quick endearing read about Santa and his origins...this is the book I highly recommend.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Ghost_Boy
After reading all of the Oz books, it's nice to read Baum's other works as well. Not only for the fact they are imaginative for his time, but also you can clearly see he created a universe with most of his books. Yes, this book does connect ith his Oz books, because in a later Oz book he uses this
The other thing I like about this book is this is Baum's version for the origin of Santa Claus. This is mostly pagan views of Santa and Christmas which is a little interesting knowing that he was Protestant, yet not supersizing since he was simply writing a book for children to enjoy. When I say pagan too it just has that feel, religion is mostly absent in this story.
This is, like most of Baum's works, a quick and easy read. It's perfect for right around Christmas too. Not all that, the message is clear, if Santa Clause had it his way all the children in the world would be happy.
Show More
Santa Claus.The other thing I like about this book is this is Baum's version for the origin of Santa Claus. This is mostly pagan views of Santa and Christmas which is a little interesting knowing that he was Protestant, yet not supersizing since he was simply writing a book for children to enjoy. When I say pagan too it just has that feel, religion is mostly absent in this story.
This is, like most of Baum's works, a quick and easy read. It's perfect for right around Christmas too. Not all that, the message is clear, if Santa Clause had it his way all the children in the world would be happy.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LynnMPK
A fantastical and interesting take on the Santa Claus myth.
Similar in this library
Pages
208