Santa Claus: The Beginning
by Terry Broxson
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction / Holiday
ISBN: 9798891320130
Print Length: 84 pages
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Reviewed by Samantha Hui
Love, happiness, and reindeer games! Santa Claus: The Beginning is a fresh reimagining of children’s favorite gift giver.
“Santa is not a what. Santia is a who, and Santa is you. You’ll be known as Santa Claus. It’s a name which means to give freely and lovingly.”
Santa Claus: The Beginning is a reimagining of how the well-known, all-seeing gift giver came to be such. Terry Broxson’s story of Santa Claus takes us through the childhood of the boy who would become Santa Claus and the first two years in his role as Father Christmas. The book is about friendship, kindness, and love. We learn that normal people who have so much to offer the world can be destined for greatness.
“I get a picture in my mind of what I want to carve. I then hold the wood in my hand, and I can feel the image in the wood. It’s as if lines are created on the wood for my knife to follow.”
In 1820 Boston, Massachusetts, a master toy maker adopts two young orphans with the goal of mentoring them to be toy makers just like himself. Rudolph Stern taught Benjamin Timmons and John Nicholas all that he knew, and made sure they were educated in math, reading, and geography as well. As John grew older, his mentor and his best friend passed away, leaving him to take care of the toy shop. Through his kindness, expertise in toy making, and leadership, John Nicholas is tasked with training elves, reigning in reindeer, and creating joy for children around the world.
“Behold the toy shop for the world’s children. John, you’re not dreaming, but your head still might hurt with all you have to do.”
The book follows John Nicholas as he navigates the role of Santa Claus in his first two years. We see the successes and pitfalls of his first year as Santa as well as how John prepares for an even better second year. The book is firstly about the creation of Santa Claus and secondly about the budding romance between John and the North Pole castle manager, Jessica. Though the two are destined to become Mr. and Mrs. Claus, it is sweet to see how they grow fond of each other’s personalities and strengths before they get married. Part one is about preparations for Christmas, and part two is about preparations for the wedding ceremony; with a focus on both, we see how Santa Claus and marriage are symbols of hope, magic, and love.
“Prancer told me there’s a young reindeer who has a shiny nose. It sort of glows. The other reindeer make fun of him, but not Prancer.”
The Napoleonic Wars led Rudolph Stern to move to Boston and eventually mentor John Nicholas. The soon to be Mrs. Claus was once the ward of Queen Victoria’s mother. A composition by Beethoven is performed at Mr. and Mrs. Claus’s wedding. There are many times throughout this book that reality and fantasy meet. These historical moments sometimes feel out of place and pull me away from the magic of the story, but for some, it could be a good way to introduce kids to historical figures and events. Vibrant and sometimes silly illustrations intersperse the text of this short book too.
“John, there’s nothing more positive than making kids happy. There’s no happier time of year than Christmas. Your mission’s one of the most positive things to occur in many years.”
This book is a great introduction of Santa Claus, filled with historical context and just just the right amount of whimsy and fantasy to get you in the spirit as the air begins to crisp.
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