Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas: A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids - Softcover

The companion book to Elise Primavera's much-celebrated Auntie Claus, Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas, gives Sophie Kringle's younger brother, Christopher, a turn in the starring role. Finally, Chris will learn the Kringle family secret--that his great-aunt Auntie Claus, inhabitant of penthouse 25C of New York City's Bing Cherry Hotel, is Santa Claus's older sister! When Chris overhears someone say that only babies believe in Santa Claus--and then repeats the rumor!--he is immediately summoned by Auntie Claus for tea, marmalade cake, and a talking-to. During teatime he learns of the PRUNES--Parade Rainers United National Elite Society (people who would dare to say there's no Santa) as well as the B-B-and-G List (Bad-Boys-and-Girls) that Santa makes each year. Taking it all with a grain of salt, Chris decides to use the scientific method: he'll behave so boorishly that he'll get on the List--if he still gets presents, he'll know it's all a hoax. Sophie attempts to demystify Christmas for him once and for all, sending him up in a magical elevator to the North Pole where he discovers (1) he made the List, (2) PRUNES exist, and (3) Santa exists. Sharing some of the smart-alecky humor of Jon Scieszka's Time Warp Trio series (Ozzie and Pam Spam are on tour promoting their new book We're Geniuses and Yer Not!, for instance), Auntie Claus then dashes the comparison with a sweet-as-cherry-pie maxim--"the best things are invisible"--which also happens to be the key to Christmas. Once again the whimsical, grand, richly colored paintings steal the limelight in this o'er complicated holiday tale. Still, those enchanted by the first Auntie won't want to miss it. (Ages 6 and older) --Karin Snelson

ELISE PRIMAVERA has been writing and illustrating children's books for more than twenty-five years. She has received numerous awards for her work and in 2004 was asked to illustrate the Christmas Brochure for the White House. Her Christmas classic AUNTIE CLAUS earned two stared reviews and was a New York Times Bestseller.