Seeking a Santa

On the heels of DiTerlizzi and Smith’s recent Seeking a Witch comes this Christmas companion book, which reads like a job description for the role of Santa: “Do you grow your own mistletoe/ Trees, wreaths, and holly/ Must love snow/ And always be jolly.” Smith uses eye-popping shades of vermillion, green, yellow, and sky blue to create zippy scenes of children joined by elves, reindeer, snowmen, a polar bear, a smiling gingerbread cookie, and penguins for caroling, snowball fights, tree decorating, and other holiday fun. It’s a fresh, lyrical look at what being Santa is all about. Ages 1–4. (Sept.)