Review Detail

STOP THAT SANTA is a cute, rhyming holiday-themed picture book. Detective Cluehound is in charge of decorating the Christmas tree - but it is stolen by Santa! As he chases Santa to get the tree back, he encounters lots of holiday-themed scenes in stores, snow, and even with a choir. At the end of the story, Santa leaves a stunning Christmas tree in its place with a note.

What I loved: This is a silly, rhyming adventure that is thoroughly holiday-themed. Each page features Christmas colors and details that keep readers thinking about the holidays throughout. All is well that ends well and Santa leaves a nice replacement tree at the end of the story, finishing on a pleasant note.

The rhyming text has a great rhythm that makes it fun to read aloud and listen to. The story is easy to follow for little ones and works perfectly for preschoolers and young elementary school readers who will enjoy the colorful scenes, holiday themes, and silly moments throughout.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, it seems outside of the spirit of the holiday to have Santa be the thief (rather than an elf or someone else causing mischief), but the ending is happy so it all works out.

Final verdict: STOP THAT SANTA! is a silly, rhyming holiday picture book that is perfect for fans of the HOW TO CATCH series.