Santa Claus and the Three Bears
by Lou Peacock; illus. by Margarita Kukhtina
Preschool, Primary    Nosy Crow    32 pp.
10/23    9798887770291    $18.99

Santa, who’s almost-but-not-quite done with his rounds, makes a Goldilocks-esque stop at the Three Bears’ house…and promptly conks out (“Who’s that sleeping in MY chair?”). When he can’t be roused, Baby Bear—assisted by the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers team of Little Red Riding Hood, the Seven Dwarfs, the Three Little Pigs, and the Gingerbread Man—takes the lead. Peacock’s text includes lots of funny fairy-tale flourishes (“‘Quick, Gingerbread Man,’ cried Baby Bear. ‘Run, run, as fast as you can, and deliver all the presents!’”) enhanced by Kukhtina’s spry, cartoony, digital-looking illustrations. On Christmas morning, Santa wakes up in a mild panic, but everything’s under control—and Baby Bear gets her own apt reward.

From the November/December 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.