Review Detail

Detective Cluehound and Sergeant Squirrel jump into action when someone grabs the Christmas tree and runs off while they are busy decorating the neighborhood for the upcoming holiday. Santa is consistently one step ahead of them until he finally makes his escape using his reindeer. Cluehound and Squirrel think they are at a loss, but they find something awaiting them in the town square. What could this be?

What I Liked: While children might initially be worried that Santa is a bad guy as he steals this town’s tree, they will be delighted by the ending of this story. This is a great book to teach children about misunderstandings and the importance of communication, as much of the story's drama could have been avoided if the characters had simply spoken to one another.

The illustrations in this book are paired well with the words, and there are areas in which the font changes to emphasize different points in the story. Adults will have fun reading this one aloud, as it has many places where tone can shift or where pauses are naturally included. There are humorous moments included, such as when the chase takes us through carolers, so the words in the book are a play on Jingle Bells.

Final Verdict: Stop That Santa! is a colorful and action-packed story that follows Detective Cluehound and Sergeant Squirrel as they chase Santa around town. Children ages 3 and up will enjoy the pursuit that takes place in the book and the fun characters of Cluehound and Squirrel. This is a great book for Christmas time to introduce children to Santa and to show the giving nature of Christmas.