Review by Booklist Review
The Asian American girl who narrates this cheerful story has been on a quest to see Santa for five years--but always falls asleep before his arrival. This year could be different, though, since her mother is taking her to the department store to meet him. Once they get there, the girl is bewildered by a horde of Santas of every size, shape, gender, age, and race (a nearby sign reads, "SANTA AUDITIONS!"). Happily, the girl is not stuck on the stereotypical image of Santa as a chubby old white man, and when she meets the department-store version, who looks the part, she measures him by her own standards as someone who smells like peppermint and chocolate and feels like they have a heart full of glitter. The digital illustrations have a retro, cozy feel to them. A powerful underlying message about not judging by appearances is complemented by a nice Christmas-morning resolution when the girl can tell Santa has visited thanks to the gifts and smells and feeling of joy in her home.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
That elusive item on many a kid's wish list--meeting Santa IRL--drives Ho's sprightly story of a child on a mission. When the young narrator and Mama, who cue as East Asian, travel to the "big fancy store in the city" to see Santa, they arrive to find the streets teeming with a veritable SantaCon's worth of figures passing by a sign reading "Santa Auditions." The child is sure they'll recognize the real deal, and sets off to find the Santa who "smells like peppermint and chocolate,/ laughs like the sun clapping its hands,/ and feels like a heart full of glitter." But when the department store Santa and several others fall short, one last-ditch effort is in order. Phuong's digital images balance humorous and relatable details as background to the exuberant child's emotional adventure. And believers of any age will appreciate Ho's stirring notion of the existence of Santa being perceived through senses and feelings. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A child hopes to finally meet Santa after years of falling asleep while waiting for him. The bubbly young narrator is full of excitement over an upcoming trip to "the big fancy store in the city" to see Santa. In short, upbeat stanzas, the child explains that "every year / for the last five years / I've tried to stay awake / to meet him face-to-face." Sadly, the child always falls asleep. Still, the youngster knows plenty about Santa: He "smells like peppermint and chocolate. / Santa laughs like the sun clapping its hands. / Santa feels like a heart full of glitter." Cheerful, watercolorlike digital illustrations depict the lively, expressive protagonist, who's often surrounded by a sprinkle of sparkly dust. When Mama and her child arrive in the city, they see Santas everywhere--but none have the right smell, laugh, or feeling, not even the Santa at the big fancy store. Dispirited, the little one goes home with Mama, who wordlessly conveys her love by touching the child's head and tucking the youngster in. "Gabble-gosh! / I fell asleep again!" the child exclaims in the morning. But no matter: The young narrator knows Santa has been there because everything smells, sounds, and feels just right. Both Mama and the child present East Asian; their community is diverse. A warm Christmas story with a heart full of glitter. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
