The Life And Times of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum
Published by Penguin Classics October 2015
Source: the publisher

Publisher's Summary:
L. Frank Baum’s The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus was first published in 1902, two years after his Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Drawing on the attributes of Santa Claus from Clement Moore’s 1822 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (“The Night Before Christmas”), Baum chronicles Santa’s life from his childhood in an enchanted forest—the same forest that is the source of all magic in the land of Oz—to his destiny of sharing gifts and spreading love to his fellow man.


My Thoughts:
I've talked before about the number of Christmas books we had in our house as our children were growing up. Sadly, this was not one of them. In fact, until the publisher contacted me recently, I'd never even heard of it. What a shame!

The Life And Adventures of Santa Claus is a delightful account of how all of the things that make Santa Santa came to be, as seen through the eyes of a man who believed in fairy, nymphs, and enchanted forests. From how Claus got his name to how he came to decide to care for all children, from how he came to become a toymaker to how he is able to deliver gifts to all children in only one night, Baum manages to work in all of the magic of the Santa Claus story.

I wasn't able to read this lovely book (this edition includes the original drawings as well) with my own children but I'll definitely look forward to reading it to grandchildren. If you still have young children in your home, I highly recommend you pick up a copy and make it a Christmas tradition.