The Christmas Magic

Says it all and instills the myth of Santa Claus and brings memories of Christmas past back to older kids.

so sweet, so simple...a pleasure to read to my little one throughout the holiday season

Far, far up north, lives a very special man. Each year, as the days grow shorter and the weather gets colder, this man waits for the magic to come. As the magic gets closer, he prepares for a very special night? Can you guess who this bearded jolly man might be? The Christmas Magic is a good way to introduce Santa Claus to very young children. The book not only talks about Santa giving away presents at Christmas but also his love for children and the magic that makes everything possible.

This is an excellent example of the kind of picture book that can end up becoming a classic. The art is unique, attractive and fits the Christmas theme very well, the story is traditional enough to be accepted by most and different enough to stimulate curiosity, and combined the effort is greater than the sum of these parts. Very glad to have found it.

As a school librarian I read this to my 2nd grade classes this week before Christmas. I always read one "old" Christmas story and one new one. Yes the illustrations are exquisite, but it is the poetry of the text that captured me from the first page. There is a rhythm to each carefully crafted sentence that carries you along to Santa's little house in the far north where Christmas magic thrums in the air. The 7 and 8 year olds listened with rapt attention and delighted in recounting all the ways Santa is different from the Santa of The Night Before Christmas. Yes, different but no less wonderful. Share this book with a child and you will both love it.

The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson510ri1tclal_sl500_aa240_ Jon J Muth (Illustrator) Ages 4-8 Scholastic Press (September 1, 2009) Cautions: None Kiwi Magazine Review: I have to reveal a little bit of bias here. No, I am not receiving payment from any publisher. Here's my big naughty secret: I will buy any book that Jon J. Muth illustrates. Buying a book that Muth has illustrated is like buying your own little art museum. His watercolors and pastels make the lovely, inspirational words of Lauren Thompson simply dance and frolic across the pages. This simple take on Santa's preparation for the big reveal will have even skeptics wiping a little tear from the corner of their eyes, glazing skyward and hearing the tinkle of little bells. This one is a keeper and is my new BFF (book friend forever). PS - if you look carefully, you can see Muth's panda from Zen Shorts on one of the pages.