Santa Calls

Rating:
Summary: Lavish illustrations accent this truly classic tale
Review: In the weird and wonderful world of William Joyce, everything looks like a Little Nemo cartoon, and "Santa Calls" is no exception. You have to experience Joyce's illustrations to appreciate their lush intricacy, but even they aren't as good as this book's warm story, the tone of which perfectly captures the "Boy's Life" fiction of the American West, circa 1908.

Spunky Art Atchison, along with Spaulding his pal and Esther his little sister have a thrilling adventure after Santa calls them all North. They battle dark elves and evil queens with gee-whiz pluck (and a candy-bomb of Art's own design). But even THAT isn't the big hug in the book---it's the very end that makes this gem a keeper. Few read those two letters and go away untouched.

Every year several gooey Christmas books come out, both religious and secular, and very few are worth much. But years after purchasing this one, we still pull it out and comb the rich pictures for new details. Forget the "Ages 5-9" recommendation for this: "Santa Calls" is for everybody!

Rating:
Summary: Santa Calls
Review: In the weird and wonderful world of William Joyce, everything looks like a Little Nemo cartoon, and "Santa Calls" is no exception. You have to experience Joyce's illustrations to appreciate their lush intricacy, but even they aren't as good as this book's warm story, the tone of which perfectly captures the "Boy's Life" fiction of the American West, circa 1908.

Spunky Art Atchison, along with Spaulding his pal and Esther his little sister have a thrilling adventure after Santa calls them all North. They battle dark elves and evil queens with gee-whiz pluck (and a candy-bomb of Art's own design). But even THAT isn't the big hug in the book---it's the very end that makes this gem a keeper. Few read those two letters and go away untouched.

Every year several gooey Christmas books come out, both religious and secular, and very few are worth much. But years after purchasing this one, we still pull it out and comb the rich pictures for new details. Forget the "Ages 5-9" recommendation for this: "Santa Calls" is for everybody!

Rating:
Summary: This is one of the best books
Review: Santa Calls is a beautifully drawn and written story! When you discover the reason Santa sends for these special children you will be truly touched! I particularly like the part that seems to suggests the elves are behaving badly due to too much candy.

Rating:
Summary: Dark Elves and Evil Queen = Christmas?
Review: This book grabs the eye immediately with its stunning illustrations. These beautiful illustrations grabbed my brother's eye in a bookstore where he promptly purchased it for my niece without carefully reading the entire story. The story seems quite benign at first with children and Santa embarking on a magical journey to the North Pole. The magic for me and the others in my family ended when "dark elves" appeared in the story to kidnap one of the children and take her to their evil queen.

This just wasn't a good Christmas theme for a picture book. William Joyce's unique style went WAY over the top in this one.

Rating:
Summary: One Of Our Favorites!
Review: To not give this book a shot is truly a shame! I have been reading this book to my daughter for the last 3 Christmas seasons and she just loves it. When I first read it, I cried at the ending. A very heartfelt, touching story to enjoy year after year. In my mind...a classic. Right up there with The Polar Expess.

Rating:
Summary: One Of Our Favorites!
Review: To not give this book a shot is truly a shame! I have been reading this book to my daughter for the last 3 Christmas seasons and she just loves it. When I first read it, I cried at the ending. A very heartfelt, touching story to enjoy year after year. In my mind...a classic. Right up there with The Polar Expess.

Rating:
Summary: It's good for goodness sake
Review: William Joyce is a magnificent illustrator. If you've ever happened to catch one of his covers for the New Yorker then you know what I'm talking about. Joyce has a style all his own. His pictures are curvy and lit with subtle variations. He's so accomplished that when he draws a gigantic character with just a tiny black dot of an eye, that character appears warm and inviting rather than scary and intimidating. As an artist, he is probably one of the best living today. As an author, he leaves something to be desired.

"Santa Calls" is Joyce's tribute to a variety of different sources. Everything from Winsor McCay's "Little Nemo" to "The Wizard of Oz" appears within the pages of this book. The story is set in 1908, wherein we meet our hero Art Atchinson Aimesworth. Art's your average cowboy hat wearing adventuresome young fella. He has his best friend Spaulding Littlefeets (Comanche) and his sister Esther and things are going pretty well for the three, until one day they discover a box outside their home. It's big and red and along the side are the initials S.C. It doesn't take much deduction to discover that this is the personal property of one Mr. Santa Claus. The box reveals a summons for the three to come to the North Pole, and go they do. Once there, Santa refuses to reveal the nature of the visit, mysteriously saying that, "Some secrets are better left unsolved". The book then contains a ride in Santa's sleigh, a ghastly kidnapping, and a heroic rescue. By the end of the book, Santa still hasn't revealed why he invited the three kids to his world, but readers that take the time to read two envelopes at the end of the book will discover what the reason was on their own.

Joyce seems to be playing with a multitude of different elements with this story. For adults, he's obviously trying to conjure up a nostalgia for Christmases from years past. Everything in Santa's Toyland is painted in a remarkable series of pastels, with an incredible use of light and shadow. The toyland featured here is a kind of wonderful sugary confection, much like Oz itself or other wonderland type cities. There's not a single image in this book that jars or looks particularly awry.

If I've any objection to this book at all, it's due to its story. Joyce is an excellent artist but as an author his words fall a little flat. There's so much going on in this tale that you almost feel the author would have been more comfortable turning this book into a small chapter book rather than a wordy picture affair. He has a great sense of design and action, but his writing's a bit stilted. Plus, you do sort of wonder what's going on with one kid being a cowboy and the other kid being an Indian. What's Joyce trying to say, precisely? The action sequences don't seem to go anywhere, the villain is never explained, and the bad guys (for reasons that make little to no sense) are addicted to licorice. It's all rather mixed up, confused, and poorly planned. The book is actually improved by not reading the words at all in some parts.

I don't want to discourage you from reading this book to your kids, since visually it's fabulous. I wish that the text matched the pictures, but it just doesn't. It's not too much of a problem. I mean, when a book looks as nice as this one, it can get away with a lot. As a Christmas classic, "Santa Calls" has a lot to offer. Not much of a story, but some really great illustrations.


Rating:
Summary: I highly recommend it.
Review: William Joyce's books topped the list of family favorites when my boys were smaller. Even as they have passed the "4-8 years" level suggested, this remains a seasonal favorite of my now 10 and 14 year olds. The story is utterly charming and quirky at once. Art and his friend Spaulding discover a mystery box in the back yard one day, which propels them on an adventure that grudgingly includes Art's little sister Esther.

Typical of Joyce's "Dali-esque" illustration, the North Pole takes on a surreal appearance, and the story takes a wild turn, with a neat little surprise in the epilogue. Joyce never fails to delight his readers with his wry view of life. This book is a wonderful foil for the more traditional holiday reads for kids, and one the grown ups can enjoy fully as well.

Rating:
Summary: lovely tale for kids ready for longer stories
Review: William Joyce, the author and illustrator of George Shrinks, Rolie Polie Olie and other popular children's books, has a distinctive voice and style, and Santa Calls is consistent with his other works. Set in 1908 Abilene, it is the story of orphan Art Atchinson Aimesworth, his friend Spaulding Littlefeets and his sister Esther. One Christmas Eve Art receives a mysterious box and a summons to come to the North Pole -- signed "S.C." Intrigued (to say the least!), Art and his cohorts construct the machine inside the box and fly off to visit Santa, where adventures await them, Mr. and Mrs. Claus greet them, and Art renews his love for his sister. There is a surprise ending that lets us know that Santa and Esther have been in cahoots all along.

This is a story that will appeal to children of all ages because there is mystery and adventure (and Santa!), and as they get older they will appreciate more of the story. The illustrations are colorful and full of details, so they will stand up under multipe viewings and repeated scrutiny, and the vision of Toyland is uniquely Joyce and reminiscent of pre-modern children's illustrations.

A fun and heart-warming story.