Santa Calls

 William Joyce's Santa Calls almost makes me wish that we would have mailed letters to the North Pole this year, just to see if there were any scrapbook quality wishes that might have come from the depths of my child's soul. Not likely, but our darling heroine Esther dreams them for us in our stead. All Esther wants for Christmas is to be friends with her brother. Santa is struck by this heartwarming request and fulfills it through an exciting journey that he takes Esther and her brother on to conquer evil. The best part comes at last page, where Joyce beautifully crafts both Esther's original letter and Santa's reply. Heartwarming, wholesome, and a perfect read as well all seek to scale back.