Thursday, December 24, 2009

Book Review #35: MRS. CLAUS EXPLAINS IT ALL by Elsbeth Claus; illustrated by David Wenzel



by Elsbeth Claus
illustrated by David Wenzel

Pub. Date: November 2008
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Format: Hardcover, 32pp
Sales Rank: 175,583
Lexile: 1010L What’s This?
ISBN-13: 9781402211058
ISBN: 1402211058
 
Description (from the publisher):
Every year millions of letters to Santa reach the North Pole. Many are requests for presents. And many letters have questions about Santa, the elves and workshops, the reindeer, and, of course, the North Pole.

Now Mrs. Claus has her own gift for you - for the first time ever, she's taking a break from her very busy schedule to answer real questions from children of all ages. Join her on a tour of the North Pole and learn some of the best kept secrets of Christmas from the person who knows it all - Mrs. Claus!

* How does Santa get into my house if we don't have a chimney?

* What is Santa's favorite kind of cookie?

* Where do elves come from?

* Can all reindeer fly?

Beautifully illustrated by David Wenzel, bestselling illustrator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, this picture book reveals the answers to the questions children always ask - and they're all answered by the woman who knows the most: Mrs. Claus!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars - Fun for the whole family!

My Thoughts:
"The North Pole: the warmest place on ice." That's a quote from the endpapers of Mrs. Claus Explains It All written by (who else?) Elsbeth Claus and illustrated by David Wenzel. It's a great description of this book as well. 

Everyone knows that eventually, the kids are going to ask questions about the mechanics of how all things Santa really work. How does Santa get into my house, keep all the kids straight, get all those packages delivered in just one night. The list is endless, and not everyone knows how to answer all those questions. That's why its a great idea to have a copy of Mrs. Clause Explains It All within easy reach! You could keep the book hidden and sneakily look up the answers as the questions pop up one by one. Or head 'em off at the pass by reading ahead of time and having the answers ready to impress the kids with just how much you know about Mr. Claus.

I suppose if you're so inclined, you could even share the book with a child, thereby letting them view the wonderfully detailed illustrations that include the heretofor unknown and very top secret multi-level underground workrooms and warehouses and miles and miles of greenhouses hiding under all that snow up at that the North Pole. What, you thought Santa made a worldful of toys in some little dinky back room? Yeah, right. And just where do you think all his food comes from? Personally, I most enjoyed reading about how the elves came to be Santa's helpers and how the reindeer got their names.

As you can guess, I think Mrs. Claus Explains It All is clever, imaginative, and fun and the perfect book to add to your holiday library. No home should be without one. So, be prepared! There's not telling what those kids will ask next!

About the author (from the publisher):
Christi Love created her list of questions for Santa by posing as Mrs. Claus at various events across the country. She firmly believes in the magic of Christmas and especially of the stories that involve Santa Claus. She frequently tours as Mrs. Claus, collecting more questions from children to answer.

Click here to visit the illustrator's website.
 
About the illustrator (from the publisher):
David Wenzel is an extraordinary illustrator and children's book artist, best known for illustrating the bestselling Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and his visualization of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, illustrated in graphic novel format.

Thank you to Liz at Sourcebooks, Inc.
for supplying my review copy.

6 comments:

Gilion at Rose City Reader said...

I love all the Christmas posts everyone is putting up this week. Fun!

Have a Merry Christmas! And a happy new year of reading and blogging!

Thanks for following Rose City Reader!

rhapsodyinbooks said...

This book looks so cute!

Merry Christmas!!!

bermudaonion said...

I used to get presents from Mrs. Claus, so I probably would have loved this as a kid!

Molly said...

I have not heard of this book before, but it sounds like one that I absolutely must have :)

I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year!

Anna said...

My daughter and I really enjoyed this book. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric

Zibilee said...

This looks like an adorable book. I am glad you and your family liked it. I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and that you have a Happy New Year!