Santa Knows

Santa doubters abound, but few are as activist as Alfie F. Snorklepuss. From the moment he rips his younger sister's stocking from the mantel, he's on a one-man mission to debunk the "fairy tale" of Santa and all that it entails. But this Scrooge-in-training receives a most fantastic come-uppance in the form of a Christmas Eve visit from "the Jolly Old Elf himself." The Smiths' boisterous text and Björkman's (Seeds ) energetic, cartoonish paintings make readers privy to explanations of the "elf science and technology" that gives Christmas its magic. Ages 4-up. (Sept.)