Product Description

Santa has landed in a whole lot of trouble! Thanks to Twinklestar, that marzipan-loving but lightning-shy reindeer, Santa and his caravan have come crashing down in a storm just two weeks before Christmas.
Luckily he’s (literally!) dropped into a nice neighborhood.
But Santa’s not safe.
The ruthless Gerold Geronimus Goblynch plans to put an end to children’s wishes and turn the holiday season into his personal moneymaking scheme. Only Santa stands between him and his grinchlike tricks. With the help of kids Charlotte and Ben, Santa will have to face Goblynch and his Nutcracker goons if he’s ever to rescue Christmas!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1476884 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-10
• Released on: 2006-10-10
• Formats: Audiobook, Unabridged
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 5.88" h x .33" w x 5.06" l, .28 pounds
• Binding: Audio CD

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7–The leader of the Great Christmas Council, one Gerold Geronimus Goblynch, has outlawed all of the old, magical ways. Snowmobiles have replaced reindeer, elves and angels are banned, and noncompliant Santas are turned into chocolate. Niklas Goodfellow is the last real Santa. He and his ramshackle companions–two fat angels named Matilda and Emmanuel, an invisible reindeer, and a bunch of foulmouthed elves (steaming reindeer poo!)–are hiding from the Council. Luckily, local children Ben and Charlotte and Charlotte's dog, Mutt, join forces to save Niklas from a chocolatey fate. Funke's holiday fantasy, originally published in Germany in 1994, appeals on many levels and is surprisingly fresh. Howard's charming drawings, many full page, add just the right touch. Wonderfully imaginative details, adventure, danger, and a brave young Santa who fights to preserve all that is magical and special about Christmas make this a perfect read over a mug of hot chocolate on a cold winter's night.–Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
Author Cornelia Funke (INKHEART) reads this fantastical Christmas fable capably in her German-accented voice, sounding smoky and confiding (and a little like Lena Olin). One of the last "true" santas, Niklas Goodfellow, crash-lands in a small town, and his invisible, marzipan-loving reindeer, Twinklestar, goes missing. Lonely kids Ben and Charlotte learn his identity, help save him from giant nutcrackers, and discover some real Christmas magic. Funke gives distinguishing voices to many of the characters, particularly Niklas's comical entourage-- plump angels Matilda and Emmanuel and a caravan full of wee grumbly elves. Get out the hot cocoa--this is charming seasonal listening for the whole family. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Now that Funke's U.S. name recognition is rock solid, it will surprise few to see her foreign backlist emerge in English editions. In this illustrated Christmas novel originally published in Germany in 1994, short chapters tell of a grinchy takeover in Yule Land, where the region's crack team of Santas has been forced to submit to new, moneygrubbing policies. A renegade good Santa recruits main-character Ben and a lonely neighborhood girl to help topple the tyrant. Many members of the chapter-book audience will count themselves too worldly to truck with books about Santa, and for every glimmer of the invention that distinguishes Funke's later efforts, there are some odd notes, such as references to Ben's math difficulties, which read like a gleeful endorsement of cheating. Still, there are few Christmas-themed options for children wanting something more substantial than a picture book, and families seeking a seasonal, chapter-a-day read-aloud will find the cookie-cutter story line perfectly palatable alongside eggnog and gathered loved ones. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved