Cover of Dear Santa

Dear Santa

By: Rod Campbell

ISBN: 9781405052481

A festive follow-up to the lift-the-flap book, 'DEAR ZOO'. A letter to Santa starts off on a merry chain of gift-wrapping, but nothing is quite right and each time he thinks better of his choice. Lift the flaps to unwrap each present and find out what Santa chooses as the perfect present in the end.

Format: BOOK
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Pages: 16
Published: 2005
Language: en

AI Overview

Overview of "Dear Santa" by Rod Campbell

Key Themes:

  • Giving and Sharing: The book emphasizes the importance of giving and sharing during the holiday season.
  • Patience and Persistence: Santa's journey to find the perfect gift for the child illustrates patience and persistence.
  • Interactive Learning: The lift-the-flap mechanism and repetitive sentences make it an interactive learning tool, particularly for children working on their /s/ sound in words and short phrases.

Plot Summary:

  • Storyline: The book follows Santa Claus as he receives a letter from a child and begins to wrap presents. However, none of the gifts seem quite right until Christmas Eve, when Santa finally finds the perfect gift to leave under the tree.
  • Interactive Elements: Each page features a lift-the-flap mechanism where children can predict what Santa has wrapped up using descriptive words (e.g., big, messy, scary) and then discover the actual gift inside the package.

Critical Reception:

  • Educational Value: The book is praised for its educational value, particularly for children working on their /s/ sound. The repetitive sentences also provide a model for using the conjunction ‘so’.
  • Heartwarming Story: It is described as a heartwarming story that teaches important lessons about giving, sharing, and the magic of Christmas.
  • ** wears well:** The book is designed to be durable and suitable for young children, making it an ideal Christmas gift for fans of Rod Campbell's other classic, "Dear Zoo".

Publication Details:

  • Publisher: Pan Macmillan (2012) and reissued by Little Simon (2016).
  • Format: Board book, 16 pages, 6.2" x 6.2" x .6" inches.
  • Age Range: Suitable for children aged 1 to 5 years.

Overall, "Dear Santa" by Rod Campbell is a festive and interactive holiday book that combines educational elements with a heartwarming story, making it a delightful read for young children.