The stocking stuffer

How does Santa have time to leave presents under the tree and stuff stockings at all his stops? Turns out he has a little help, according to this "A Visit from St. Nicholas" update narrated by a North Pole mouse named Tinsel. When a Christmas Eve double-check reveals that there's no one on the Naughty List this year, the elves work overtime to meet heightened toy demand, and mouse Tinsel takes the opportunity to offer assistance: "While you're busy unpacking your bag full of treats/ I could fill stockings with trinkets and sweets." Grateful for the assist, Santa, portrayed with light skin, gladly guides stocking stuffer "Tiny Tin" through the blizzarding night's whirlwind delivery, making sure that no one is forgotten. Merriweather tweaks beloved lore just enough to spark readers' imaginations anew--and keep them on the lookout for a tiny mouse decked out in a Santa suit. The book's tall, narrow trim size suggests a stocking's shape, and Graegin's digital artwork features a surfeit of shadowy, decoration- and present-filled backdrops, befitting the protagonists' journey between sleepy homes in the dark of night. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)

A tiny helper's moment to shine. It's Christmas Eve, and Santa is almost ready to go. When double-checking his list, he's surprised and delighted that there's no one on the Naughty List this year. But that means that Santa and the elves will need to deliver more toys than ever. A mouse who lives in the reindeer's barn, who has always wanted to help Santa and his crew, tells Santa that with so much work, someone needs to oversee the stockings so they aren't forgotten. Santa agrees, and he and the mouse, Tinsel (nicknamed Tiny Tin), set off on their circumnavigating sleigh ride. Dressed in a miniature Santa outfit, Tinsel walks along the mantle of the first house and slides trinkets and sweets into each family member's stocking, even leaving a special treat for a local mouse. Though this tale is sweet, there's little new here. It's yet another tale--and a fairly low-stakes one at that--where a character saves Christmas; plus, it's similar in poetic structure to Clement C. Moore's famous "A Visit From St. Nicholas." Still, it does offer the opportunity for a new holiday tradition, as the little mouse tells readers to write both Santa's and Tinsel's names on their Christmas letters next year. Though digital, Graegin's illustrations have a hand-drawn look and a 1940s-1950s feel. Santa is light-skinned, while the elves vary in skin tone. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Small amusement. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.