Children's Book Review: Santa’s (Zany, Wacky, Just Not Right!) Night Before Christmas by DK Simoneau and David Radman, Illus.by Brad Cornelius

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from the author,via Bostick Communications, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

Ah 50 days to go...I know, I know,

but I'm one of those who tries to shop EARLY, and in fact am almost done

(yeah I know you can hate me, I was horrendously late last year), so I understand people wanting to buy gifts early, just not wanting to see all the decorations up the day after Halloween!

Besides, you KNOW you've already said those dreaded words...

"Santa is watching so you better behave!"

But what happens to Santa when HE has a bad day on Christmas Eve?

Synopsis:

Santa’s (Zany, Wacky, Just Not Right!) Night Before Christmas is a whimsical tale of Santa’s journey through a Christmas Eve that doesn’t go as he expects.  One small event leads to a series of surprises that change Santa, and Christmas, as we know it. It’s a story to spark the imagination, make kids giggle, and bring a smile even to a grownup’s face!  Here is a story that even grownup will relate to and enjoy.

The story was conceived out of an interesting conversation between the two authors of how much of Christmas might change if something as simple as Santa’s suit changed to purple. 

DK Simoneau says, “There are things in the illustrations that aren’t even reflected in the words of the story, like upside down snowmen, green mittens and plaid candy canes instead of striped ones, a clever little mouse named Matches popping up everywhere, and so much more. And the app will highlight even more of those treasures.”

Excerpt:

       One Christmas Eve it was a cold stormy night;

And nothing at the North Pole was going quite right.

The sleigh was all packed and the reindeer were drawn.

But Santa did not have his Santa suit on. Mrs. Claus was in bed and feeling quite sick.

So doing the laundry was the job of St. Nick.

Only what came out of the washer was no longer bright red.

What he thought was the soap turned out to be purple paint instead!

That night wherever he went all over the world,

people saw changes in Christmas that had their heads swirled......

Christmas is ruined and it is all his own fault. 

Will the things in the world just come to a halt?

Review:

Good luck trying to get through this book in one sitting! Miss Grace kept pulling the book back to her and hunting for everything that was wrong, for the mouse and all the little surprises! We ended up having to read it twice to get the whole story! It is an adorably funny book to read out loud, and then talk about- why can't Santa have a camo colored suit for example? It's a great way to get your kids to think outside the box, and to examine traditions and why we have them, and celebrate them! This is a book you'll be adding to your annual holiday reading list! We highly recommend it!

About the Authors/ Illustrator:

DK Simoneau is the award winning author of We’re Having A Tuesday, a book helping children of divorce cope with shared custody living arrangements. She has offered advice on divorced parenting in numerous publications and on various programs, including the CBS Early Show.  She enjoys writing stories that help children express their feelings or inspire them to dream and use their zany, whimsical imaginations. She enjoys traveling, dancing, and sharing time with her own 2 kids in Lakewood, Colorado.

David Radman began writing children’s stories as a single father, when his two daughters were very young. His love of being a dad inspired him to share his creativity through the magic of storytelling. He enjoys playing hockey, spending time with family, and continues to write stories he hopes to be able to share in the future. David lives in Littleton, Colorado, with his wife, two children, and three stepchildren.

Brad Cornelius was born and raised near Chicago, spending his free time learning to draw and watching lots of cartoons. Brad, his wife Melissa and their two greyhounds, are currently exploring the country in a vintage Airstream trailer. This is his second collaboration with DK Simoneau.