Howe and Christians center community in this likable story about a child’s friendship with a new neighbor who bears a remarkable resemblance to Santa. Naturally, the youth’s family remains skeptical of the neighbor’s identity (“Dad says plenty of older men have white beards. Mom says it’s rude to point at someone’s belly”), but the light-brown-skinned protagonist persists. Though the would-be Saint Nick, portrayed with pale skin, expresses preferences that come as a surprise (favorite animal: not reindeer, but rabbits), some traits do seem to provide proof of potential Santa-ness—especially his ability to fix just about anything, a skill that the whole neighborhood comes to rely upon. When the child discovers that the family’s bearded neighbor has fallen ill, she rallies support from other community members (“Santa needs you!”), with a positive outcome that occurs just in the nick of time. Bright undertones make unlined digital cartoons a joyous affair that ably matches text’s spirited tone. Depictions include figures of varied abilities and skin tones. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)–Publishers Weekly
When a man with a white beard moves into the unnamed narrator’s busy, diverse neighborhood, only she believes he’s Santa. He becomes a fixture, raising rabbits and opening a workshop to which everyone brings broken things, including the girl’s father’s motorcycle. When the man gets sick, she organizes the neighbors to bring him medicine and food, and he gets better just in time for Christmas Eve. A final illustration shows the neighborhood gathering outside for a celebration—while, flying against a full moon, we see a man on a motorcycle pulled by rabbits. An uplifting Christmas story about the power of belief and the importance of community, with cheerful illustrations containing not a few hints to the man’s true identity (our narrator was right all along).–Horn Book
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