Santa's Favorite Story: Santa Tells the Story of the First Christmas

Santa goes for a walk in the woods to get in shape for Christmas deliveries. However, he gets tired and ends up falling asleep under a tree. When the forest animals gather 'round him and he tells them he might be too tired to deliver the presents this year, an alarmed fox asks, "Does that mean there won't be a Christmas anymore?" Santa replies, "No, no no...Christmas hasn't got anything to do with me." And he tells them his favorite story -- about the first Christmas, when Jesus the Son of God was born. He concludes, "Love was the gift God gave to us on the first Christmas, and it still is, you know. And this love is far better than any presents I can ever deliver." Re-energized by his remembering of the story, he and the animals return to his house to prepare for Christmas and deliver the presents. This is an equally fun and meaningful story. The illustrations are lovely, too. I plan to make the reading of this book a part of our family's Christmas tradition.

I stumbled across this title several years ago and it has become my favorite. When the animals at the North Pole find Santa too tired to make his rounds the animals are afraid there will be not Christmas. But Santa reassures them he is not what Christmas is really about and tells them the reason for the season. Beautiful illustrations too!

I appreciated this book because it gently explains to children that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus and not just about gift giving. In the end, Santa and all of the aniamals have a wonderful Christmas day enjoying each other's company. A real warm fuzzy.

Santa's Favorite Story is a wonderful book for families who want to maintain the spiritual emphasis of Christmas but don't want to part with the fun of Santa Claus.