Review Detail

HO HO HO! A PIRATE'S CHRISTMAS FOR ME is a cute and rhyming picture book about the origin of Santa Claus. The two pirate brothers Beard, Nic and Kris, sail the seas together on their ship. When Kris finds a special necklace, Nic makes him walk the plank and leaves him behind in the ocean. Luckily, Kris finds his way to the ice where an elf makes him a nice cocoa, and he stays to teach the elves how to repair their sleighs and make toys.

When they are old, Nic regrets the things he has done and sets out to find Kris. He finds where Kris has been living and apologies, and the magic of the necklace begins to make things fly. They share the cheer by bringing toys around the world.

What I loved: This is a clever new Christmas origin story, and the rhyming text was really fun throughout. The illustrations are fantastic with lots of detail and color, and the characters really leap off the pages. For kids who love pirates and Christmas, this is sure to be a hit!

The holiday is not discussed, with the book covering the newly imagined origin of Santa Claus, meeting the elves and reindeer and making toys. This is quite a unique take on the character, with the two brothers manifesting the beloved Santa. The themes of forgiveness and kindness are great for young readers.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, I was a bit troubled by the way the brothers turned on each other, especially leaving one behind to fight for survival in the water (though this was not stated in such terms). That being said, this did not seem to faze the children who listened to the story- and Nic does see the error of his ways and go to apologize and make things right.

Final verdict: HO HO HO! A PIRATE'S CHRISTMAS FOR ME is a unique new holiday story that combines rhyming and the spirit of the season into an enchanting new tale.