Santa's Toys

Krystyna J. Higgins is the former book review editor for the Catholic
New Times.

In this new Christmas pop-up (or rather, “pull-the-tab”) book, Santa
makes a delivery but then gets sidetracked playing with the toys
himself. The reader gets to play along with Santa, as the toy train runs
along its track, the little soldiers march, the dollhouse opens up, and
the plane flies around the room. Suddenly, the Angel reminds Santa that
he has a job to finish. While the toys fall asleep to await the morning,
Santa flies off to complete his Christmas deliveries.

As is to be expected in this kind of book, the text takes second place
to the pictures and play-value, serving as little more than captions for
the illustrations. And the pictures are lovely indeed, glowing with
vibrant colors and textures. An especially delightful page shows a big
fluffy teddy bear who can open and close his eyes!

While this book would likely be a welcome holiday gift, there
are—from an adult point of view, anyway—two minor quibbles. First, a
technical problem: the moving train and plane, which slide across a
double-page spread, tend to “catch” at the centrefold, though
possibly with repeated use the pages would loosen up. The other problem
is one of content: Where did that angel come from? She is not to be
found among the decorations, or the toys, or atop the tree, and in fact
appears in no other illustration in the book. Talk about a deus ex
machina—although, again, this would probably not bother a preschooler
much!

All in all, Santa’s Toys is a worthy addition to the interactive book
repertoire. Recommended with only minor reservations.