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Summary: Santa's Twin is hilarious
Review: A naughty, inventive & heartwarming epic poem aboutCharlotte & Emily who set out to save Santa from his mischievoustwin - Bob Claus - who has stolen his brother's sleigh, is plotting to make Donner, Blitzen & the rest into reindeer soup & has stuffed Santa's toy bags with mud pies, cat poop & broccoli, yum! Perhaps because I'm adult I roared with laughter while reading this one to the youngsters. I don't know if it damaged them - they sure went through the gamut of emotions & we ended up noses to the pages looking for those special clues. What a gift for folks with a sense of humor! ...
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Summary: Delightfully Different Xmas Tale
Review: Dean Koontz is my favorite writer, so despite my daughter only being 2, I had to get this for her. It has gorgeous illustrations and rhyming text. Santa's twin brother decides to tie Santa up and ruin Xmas. He's tired of being outshined by his brother, Santa and decides to make everyone hate him instead. He lands in a house and leaves horrible presents and ruins their house but his plans are foiled by the two sisters who live there. They overhear what he's done and decide they are the only ones who can save Santa. They rescue Santa and scold his evil twin. Why what would your mother think, they ask him and he realizes the err of his ways. This book is fun reading with wacky descriptions and imaginable ryhmes. The last page asks you if you noticed all the snowmen hiding on each page. They watch over us and report back to Santa. How else would Santa know who's been naughty or nice. My sister and mother in law had a blast trying to find the snowmen. This is a wonderful Xmas tale thet kids will delight in. It isn't scary at all, it's more comical.
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Summary: A witty new twist on Christmas
Review: I love this book! I first saw it several years ago when my neighbor (the artist, Phil Parks) was illustrating it, and I fell in love with it. I think the humor is intelligent and top-notch, and I love the illustrations. It is a refreshing change from traditional Christmas stories, and it makes me laugh out loud. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: Well-told, but exasperatingly long bedtime story
Review: I must say, the illustrations of "Santa's Twin" are gorgeous, pure eye candy, and that's what teased the money from my pocket. And Koontz as author? It must have some scary, wicked moments in it as well! And he has quite a way with words, the rhyme rollicks along.But except for adults who are buying this book primarily for themselves--or for their coffee table or children's library--it is a highly impractical read for kids. It's a picture book. The story is very much targeted at the 3-8 year old set. Okay, so when do these kids get the story read to them? At bedtime. And I defy any parent to get through the entire "Santa's Twin" in one setting at bedtime. It goes on and on and on and on . . . It's too long of a story. It takes 3 nights to get through the whole thing. Consequently, it is far from an ideal book to buy your kids. Looks nice on the shelf. Fun for the 3 year old to look through (and tear the pages). Even an entertaining read, but quite a poor read-aloud. Be warned.
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Summary: Koontz never ceases to impress me
Review: I'm 36 and bought the book for myself! It will be an annual Christmas Eve tradition. I read it to my two nieces - 8 & 11 - and they enjoyed almost as much as i did. I especially loved the line - "they could do it. They were sisters" since I love to stress the importance of this relationship to these sisters. The humor he uses throughout makes it a joy to read again and again. the illustrations are gorgeous - and we had fun searching for the artist's signature within the artwork.
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Summary: Koontz goes Christmas!
Review: Okay, here's the deal: Santa's got a twin brother. Only Santa's twin isn't nearly so nice--he hogties Santa and leaves him in a dingy dungeon, then steals the sleigh--threatening the reindeer--and spreads Christmas horror throughout the world. It's up to two young sisters, Emmy and Charlotte, to stop him, rescue the real Santa Claus, and restore happiness to the world...before dawn.
Fully of wit and humor people of all ages will enjoy, Dean Koontz's "Santa's Twin", featuring superb illustrations by Phil Parks, is a must-have for holiday fans. Enjoyable rhyme, hidden snowmen in every picture, and little bits of humor drawn into the pictures themselves will delight Koontz fans and casual readers. "Santa's Twin" may not ever become a holiday classic, but it's certainly a holiday tradition around my house!
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Summary: Koontz for Kids, and Adults Will Love it Too!
Review: Santa has been tied up, stuffed into a sack and thrown into the basement of his house in Santa's Village, North Pole. His evil jealous twin brother has control of his sleigh and reindeer, is vandalising houses and switching toys for toad snot and other disgusting things, so that kids will hate his brother and live in fear each Christmas for centuries to come. It is up to two good girls named Charlotte and Emily to stop the evil one, rescue Santa and save Christmas This sensational rhyming, illustrated Christmas tale also has the added bonus of hidden snowmen on each page, Where's Wally? (Waldo, America) style. Obviously kids will enjoy this sensational thriller but so will adults. Also read Garry Larson's There's a Hair in My Dirt which is another children's classic written by an author who normally writes for adults.
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Summary: Koontz for Kids, and Adults Will Love it Too!
Review: Santa has been tied up, stuffed into a sack and thrown into the basement of his house in Santa's Village, North Pole. His evil jealous twin brother has control of his sleigh and reindeer, is vandalising houses and switching toys for toad snot and other disgusting things, so that kids will hate his brother and live in fear each Christmas for centuries to come. It is up to two good girls named Charlotte and Emily to stop the evil one, rescue Santa and save Christmas This sensational rhyming, illustrated Christmas tale also has the added bonus of hidden snowmen on each page, Where's Wally? (Waldo, America) style. Obviously kids will enjoy this sensational thriller but so will adults. Also read Garry Larson's There's a Hair in My Dirt which is another children's classic written by an author who normally writes for adults.
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Summary: Fun for Ages 8 and Up
Review: This book is a modern Christmas classic. Santa has been mugged, tied up and stuffed under the basement stairs by his twin brother, Bob. At first, Bob comes across as malevolent and psychotic, intent on destroying his brother's reputation as well as wrecking everyone's Christmas. But thanks to the efforts of two brave sisters, we find out that Bob is merely jealous of his brother and has forgotten some basic behavioral standards. The story is told entirely in rhyme. Indeed, it is Koontz's clever rhymes that will keep you in stitches-he even finds not one, but two rhymes for halitosis!
Due to the violent beginning, I wouldn't recommend this story for kids under 8, and the opening violent scene makes the story certainly unsuitable for youngsters who still believe in Santa Claus. But those who are not emotionally distraught by the image of Santa Claus as the victim of a violent crime will find the story charming. After the opening scene, the story itself is not that violent, and Bob eventually learns a new moral to take to heart and direct his future behavior.
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Summary: Too Grotesque!
Review: This book is certainly not for young children with its nasty graphics and language... putting slime and guts into Christmas presents is not what I want to teach my child. After I read it once, I literally THREW it away. Do not waste your money.
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