How to Catch Santa

by Jean Reagan, Lee Wildish (Illustrator)

Overview

A #1 New York Times bestseller and Christmas must-read from the creators of the laugh-out-loud bestsellers How to Babysit a Grandpa and How to Babysit a Grandma!
 
After waiting for days and days and days, it’s finally Christmas Eve. And that’s when you can try to catch Santa....
 
Two sibling narrators give clever tips for “catching” Santa (be crafty! be clever! be gentle!) on Christmas Eve in this delightful and hilarious holiday offering, written in a fun instructional style. Filled with humor and warmth, this is a jolly read-aloud for the whole family to enjoy!

And don't miss Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish's How to Raise a Mom and How to Surprise a Dad!

“A new hit this year is How to Catch Santa. . . . The picture book offers lighthearted tips on how kids can steal a glimpse of Mr. Elusive, aka Santa. . . .” —USA Today

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780553498400
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/20/2015
Series:	How To Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jean Reagan was born in Alabama but spent most of her childhood in Japan. She now lives in Salt Lake City with her husband. In the summers, they serve as backcountry volunteers in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. To learn more about Jean and her books, please visit JeanReagan.com and @JeanReaganBooks.
 
Lee Wildish became interested in art at a very young age. He is the illustrator of many acclaimed children’s books, and he has also worked in advertising and greeting card design. Lee lives in Nottinghamshire, England. Visit him on the Web at WildishIllustration.com.

Together, Jean and Lee are the creators of the New York Times bestselling HOW TO... series, including How to Babysit a Grandpa, How to Babysit a Grandma, and How to Raise a Mom.

Editorial Reviews

09/14/2015
In this continuation of Reagan and Wildish’s tongue-in-cheek series of “how to” books, an unseen narrator presents an array of ideas for catching Santa, detaining him long enough to answer questions about how the reindeer fly or how he fits down chimneys. “Be crafty! Be clever! Be gentle,” writes Reagan, dismissing ideas like lassoing Santa like a steer for ones like leaving him a note filled with glitter, so that he’ll leave a trail. Wildish’s illustrations embrace the comedy of the narrator’s suggestions; in a departure from the brightly colored palette of most of the scenes, he offers a quiet view of snowy suburban rooftops by night, as the narrator instructs readers to listen for “Santa sounds” like “Santa doing stretches on your neighbor’s roof.” Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jamie Weiss Chilton, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Vicki Willden-Lebrecht, Bright Agency. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

10/01/2015
PreS-Gr 2—From the team behind How to Babysit a Grandpa (2012) comes this similar guide with a glitterized cover. It's packed with tongue-in-cheek advice on how to catch Santa and then what to do with him. You can't keep him long—he's busy! Questions to ask and things to tell him must be thought of in advance. Techniques for his capture will require some effort, as illustrated by several humorous scenarios. Don't be too disappointed if you don't catch him—there's always next year! VERDICT Clever, chuckle-worthy fare in a nonreligious context.—Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

2015-08-12
The creators of the bestselling How to Babysit a Grandpa (2012) and How to Babysit a Grandma (2014) continue their series with this story about a brother and sister who want to capture Santa on his annual visit to their home. The children discuss improbable ideas for spotting or catching Santa, including a complicated sequence with notes to lure Santa up to their bedroom. They wait up for Santa, and a nighttime view of Santa and the reindeer on the neighborhood's roofs makes his arrival seem imminent. Then, in a disappointing conclusion, the children fall asleep with no sign of Santa's arrival. In the morning it's clear Santa has been there, as the presents are under the tree and the cookies and carrots have been eaten. There is a trail of red glitter leading to the chimney from the letter the kids sent to Santa, but that's the only surprise this story has to offer. Readers might be expecting some sort of exciting trap for Santa or some clever way the children get to meet him or ride in his sleigh. No…just a sprinkle of red glitter. Digitally produced illustration are bright and cheery, with cute kids and amusing details, but sharp-eyed readers will notice the decorated Christmas tree in the living room is inexplicably placed in four different locations on different pages. Maybe these kids should try babysitting Santa. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews