Santa Calls

Joyce, William

4.13

1,546 ratings by Goodreads

ISBN 10: 0060211342 ISBN 13: 9780060211349

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1993

At the invitation of Santa, Art Atchinson Aimesworth, inventor extraordinaire and crusader against crime--accompanied by his sister Esther and his friend, Spaulding Littlefeets--sets out to save the North Pole from the villains who threaten it.

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Review:

Gather round for an Extraordinary Adventure, circa Christmas 1908, Abilene, Texas. The players are a boy named Art (devoted to "the making of inventions, the quest for adventure, and the fighting and smashing of crime"); his best friend, a Comanche boy named Spaulding; and Art's scorned little sister, Esther. One dusty December day, they find a huge wooden crate accompanied by a note that says, "Open the box. Assemble the contents. Come NORTH. Yours, S.C." The next thing you know, the intrepid trio sets off for the North Pole in the freshly assembled Yuletide Flyer, at Santa's cryptic request. Let the swashbuckling adventure begin! Santa's home is the glittering metropolis of Toyland, described as "the best of the old, the best of the new, and the best that is yet to be." But what's this? Dark Elves and their evil Queen? No one bargained for danger in the North Pole. After a dashing display of heroic and ingenious maneuvering, however, the three children are delivered back home in time for Christmas. But why did Santa call in the first place? He tells them, "Some secrets are best left unsolved." The real secret of this rollicking Christmas tale lies in two facsimile letters attached at the end of the book--Esther's touching note to Santa and his reply. Beloved illustrator William Joyce, creator of George Shrinks and Dinosaur Bob, has managed an unusual feat: an original Christmas story, breathtaking artwork, and adventure tale all rolled into one. (Ages 5 to 9)

About the Author:

William Joyce does a lot of stuff but children’s books are his true bailiwick (The Numberlys, Rolie Polie Olie, Dinosaur Bob, George Shrinks, and the #1 New York Times bestselling The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, which is also his Academy Award–winning short film, to name a few). He lives in Shreveport, Louisiana. Talk to William Joyce and look at upcoming work at @HeyBillJoyce on Twitter and Instagram.

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