★ 07/29/2024

This warmhearted holiday interlude opens as a polar bear passing the North Pole finds that Santa spends Christmas Day just like any other: making toys. (He does sleep “an extra half hour,” three elves reveal.) The bear’s stern reply—“It’s Christmas”—spurs the group to offer Santa a real celebration, one with a tree to decorate, stockings to hang, and presents to unwrap. Luminous gouache and watercolor spreads by Smith add delectable touches: Santa’s kindly pink face and bushy white eyebrows in early morning sun; the eager pleasure of the elves taking Santa through the day; bright lights, filled stockings, and a groaning banquet table. Barnett tenderly unfurls the day’s events, leaning beat by beat into the meta-possibilities posed by a Christmas created for Santa, as when the elves tell him he can have only one cookie (“We have to save them.... For you know who”). Offering moments of abundance, laughter, and surprise, the creative duo’s assembly of classic yuletide elements gives readers a chance to encounter an old holiday anew—freshly through the eyes of its most iconic figure. The elves are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 3–7. (Oct.)

★ "Cozier than a roaring fire and sweeter than milk and cookies, this earns its 'Christmas classic' stripes with flying colors." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

★ "Offering moments of abundance, laughter, and surprise, the creative duo’s assembly of classic yuletide elements gives readers a chance to encounter an old holiday anew—freshly through the eyes of its most iconic figure." —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly

★ "A feel-good holiday story that will warm hearts for Christmases to come. Holiday collections will welcome this gift." —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal

★ "Barnett’s wry text is full of affection for his characters, and Smith’s rich watercolor and gouache illustrations infuse both the outdoor North Pole and interior scenes with good cheer." —STARRED REVIEW, The Horn Book

"It is hard to say which is more wonderful, Mr. Barnett’s droll and low-key narration or Mr. Smith’s soft, warm, humorous pictures. Warm and funny and delightful, Santa’s First Christmas is likely to become an annual read-aloud in families with young children." —Wall Street Journal

★ 09/01/2024

PreS-Gr 3—Barnett's latest story is an early Christmas present to the readers. With guidance from a polar bear, the elves at the North Pole realize that Santa never celebrates Christmas: He spends the holiday giving and then sleeping. The elves, of various skin tones, decide to do something special for Santa, starting with donuts and tree decorating, then moving on to hanging stockings and lights. The celebration culminates when someone with a white beard and red suit comes to the door carrying a sack full of gifts. Santa knows who it is, but he does not tell. Smith's rustic illustrations with deep, warm hues provide the perfect atmosphere for the story. As Santa and the elves are enjoying their holiday feast at the end of their day, readers will feel sated as well. VERDICT A feel-good holiday story that will warm hearts for Christmases to come. Holiday collections will welcome this gift.—Cassie Veselovsky

Narrated by the author, this charming original story reveals that Santa himself never celebrated Christmas until one year when a gruff, growly polar bear pointed this out to his elves. They decide to treat Santa royally and help decorate his house for a holiday celebration--complete with gifts delivered by the bear, who is dressed in red and growls a deep-voiced "ho-ho-ho." Barnett imbues the elves with childlike wonder and naïveté and Santa with a kind, gentle demeanor--though he's disappointed when he's limited to only one cookie. Holiday music opens and closes the production, framing it beautifully. Occasional sound effects--wind, feet crunching snow, breaking glass, the crackle of a fire, and presents being unwrapped--add fullness to this sweet story. S.D.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

★ 2024-07-19
Even the man with the bag needs a little help getting into the Yuletide spirit.

Barnett returns with yet another Christmas title, followingHow Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? (2023), illustrated by Jon Klassen. Prepare for some potential confusion, since the titular “first Christmas” isn’t about the first time Santa started delivering gifts, but rather the first ChristmasDay he’s celebrated himself. Usually after working hard on Christmas Eve, Santa sleeps in an extra half hour and then gets right back to work. The elves and a concerned polar bear decide to take matters into their own hands, so this year they surprise Santa with breakfast in bed on Christmas morning, then plunge into other activities: trimming a Christmas tree, stringing the North Pole up with lights, baking cookies, reading stories aloud, giving Santa presents, and enjoying a feast so decadent that it would make a reformed Grinch blush. Barnett narrates with a pitch-perfect mixture of droll amusement and holiday charm: Santa initially appears to be humoring his elves, only to really get into the spirit himself. Smith’s signature illustrations rely on bright colors and shapes. This seeming simplicity is belied by each scene’s unique lighting and reflections, imbuing everything with a singular warmth. Santa is pink-skinned and rosy-cheeked; the elves vary in skin tone.

Cozier than a roaring fire and sweeter than milk and cookies, this earns its “Christmas classic” stripes with flying colors.(Picture book. 4-6)