That's Good! That's Bad! on Santa's Journey »

MARGERY CUYLER is the author of many books for young readers, including The Little Dump Truck and From Here to There, as well as the books in the That’s Good! That’s Bad! series. She lives with her family in Princeton, New Jersey.

MICHAEL GARLAND has written and illustrated several picture books, such as The Mouse Before Christmas, and illustrated That’s Good! That’s Bad! in Washington, DC. He lives with his family in Patterson, New York.

On Christmas Eve, Santa sets off to deliver presents to a little boy. But between a snowstorm, an icy roof, and a dusty chimney, things don’t go as expected.

Get ready to laugh out loud as Mr. Claus trips on a cat, bumps his head on a table, and rips his pants. There’s never a dull moment for this accident-prone Santa. That’s bad. No, that’s good!

Children's Literature

It is Christmas Eve. After kissing Mrs. Claus goodbye, Santa Claus climbs into his sled and flies off on a fun sled ride. First, it snows so hard that Santa has to land on an igloo. Then, Santa and the reindeer crash into a chimney. Eventually, Santa jumps down the chimney to deliver the toys, only to get stuck midway down due to his potbelly. Fortunately, Santa sneezes; the force of it catapults him out of the chimney. Seconds later, Santa trips over the kitty cat and spills presents all over the floor. He picks up the mess and looks at the dazzling tree. To Santa's embarrassment, the seat of his pants rips—and suddenly he is in trouble again! When Santa finally makes it up to the roof, he discovers that the reindeer have flown away without him. What can he do now? When Santa whistles, the reindeer return. As the team swerves to avoid a pine tree, Santa falls out of the sled. Finally, Santa delivers the presents, and the story ends happily after. This book has amazing illustrations, and young readers will enjoy the adventures of this accident-prone Santa. Reviewer: Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.