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| Tarcher Perigee |
The Autobiography of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas' birth in Lycia in 280 AD. He goes on to tell how he got started giving gifts in the dead of night and how he became a bishop. Eventually, he discovered that he had become immortal. He decidesdto use this unexpected gift to continue helping others. Along the way, he meets many friends, who join him in his work, and become immortal themselves. While a few of his companions are unknown to history, many, such as Attila the Hun, King Arthur, and even Leonardo da Vinci, had quite a well known impact. Over the centuries, Nicholas and his friends evolve, along with the Christmas holidays, into the Santa Claus we know and love today.
How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas is the saddest of the three stories. It takes place during a very dark time in England, the reign of Oliver Cromwell. It was at that time, in the 1640s, that the British Parliament outlawed the celebration of Christmas. Santa's wife, Layla, with a bit of help from his good friend Arthur (known to us as King Arthur of Camelot), worked behind the scenes to help bring the magic and hope of Christmas back to the unhappy people of England.
The final story, The Great Santa Search, takes readers on an entertaining trip through the history of Christmas in America. When the story arrives in the present day, Santa is faced with an unexpected challenge: a reality television show has declared that they will search for the real Santa. This makes Santa and his companions fear that the search may destroy the magic of Christmas. In the end, everyone involved learns some unexpected lessons about who Santa Claus really is.
I really enjoyed these well written and entertaining Christmas stories. This year, I'm sharing them with Bean as part of our Christmas preparations. I hope you'll share these stories with your family as well. You'll be glad you did.
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