How Santa Got His Job » (Reprint)

Stephen Krensky is the author of more than a hundred books for children, including How Santa Got His Job (an ALA Notable Book) and Big Bad Wolves at School. He and his wife, Joan, live in Lexington, Massachusetts. You can visit him on the Internet at www.stephenkrensky.com.

S. D. Schindler is the popular and versatile illustrator of many books for children, including Big Pumpkin and the ALA Notable Book Don't Fidget a Feather, both by Erica Silverman, How Santa Got His Job by Stephen Krensky, and Johnny Appleseed by Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benét. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

When Santa was young and needed a job, no one was looking for a man in a red suit to deliver gifts on Christmas. So Santa tried just about everything — from a chimney sweep to a postman to a circus performer. But none of these worked out. It wasn't until he met a group of elves who helped him use all his special talents, that Santa was able to find his dream job.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--A contemporary, funny, and truly original look at how Santa Claus acquired all the skills that have made him the great success he is today. As a young man, Santa wants no part of desks or offices. His first job is cleaning chimneys, and he is so good at getting up and down them that he never gets dirty. His second position is with the post office, delivering packages--but people dislike his zeal when he continues delivering into the night. Later, he cooks at an all-night diner (he gains a lot of weight), works at the zoo (he loves the reindeer best), and does a stint with the circus, where he meets elves who live "out of town and need someone to deliver toys." And, of course, the rest is history. Children will love the clever way in which the story builds, showing how Santa's diverse background prepared him perfectly for his Christmas Eve duties. Schindler's amusing, detailed ink drawings include full-page and half-page spreads, and are sometimes set in a white box against a background of want-ad newsprint, also featured on the endpapers. Krensky's spare text makes brilliant use of every word. A jolly choice for reading aloud during the holidays or as a spoof during career-study time.--LF