Swiss children's author and artist Marcus Pfister, who is best known for his series of picture-books about the adventures of The Rainbow Fish, turns here to the story of Santa Claus, and the result is charming! When Santa oversleeps on the big day, it is just the first of many troubles, as he discovers that his clothing is not in order, the walkway from his house to the stable hasn't been shoveled, his bag of gifts is too large to fit through his front door, the reindeer haven't been fed, and the blades on his sleigh need sharpening. It's a full-scale disaster! Or is it...?

An engaging Santa story, with a surprise ending that sets all to rights (in a very humorous way), Wake Up Santa Claus! is lots of fun to read, with its accumulation of mishaps. Anyone who has ever had a morning where everything went wrong will sympathize with Santa's troubles! The artwork is lovely, colorful and very expressive - I loved the scene where Santa is hunting everywhere for his second boot! - with a soft-edged quality that works very well. The scenes in the falling snow are gorgeous (I have a weakness for wintry landscapes), while the ones in Santa's home are warm and cozy. All in all, a very appealing picture-book, one I would recommend to any young reader looking for fun Santa stories for the holidays! ( )