Santa's New Reindeer

When Santa's famous reindeer fall ill on Christmas Eve, he rustles up some unusual replacements from the North Pole Zoo. A donkey, three camels, two cows and two sheep are reluctant to leave their warm shelter until Santa shames them into service by reminding them of the important roles that animals played in the Nativity. Schrecker's wordy text makes for a somewhat cumbersome read-aloud, but her message about selflessness and duty rings true without didacticism. Rodriguez's paintings, however, lack sophistication, particularly in the artist's use of perspective and color. Ages 3-up. (Aug.)