Santa's Sleigh-Train
Santa’s Sleigh-Train is a sweet story starring all of your favorite Christmas characters. Both the young and young at heart will love this spirited tale.
When Rudolph is sick, can Christmas presents still get to all the good little girls and boys? Such is the question in E. Dorinda Shelley’s heartwarming picture book Santa’s Sleigh-Train.
At the North Pole, Rudolph tells Santa that he has a big problem: his nose isn’t working correctly; its light is too dim. Santa promptly sends him to the infirmary, where he is diagnosed with dreaded reindeer pox. At a meeting with the worried elves, Santa spies a toy train on the table and has a bright idea. On Christmas Eve, he will use magic dust to make the packed sleigh sit on top of a locomotive.
The reindeer feel helpless with nothing to do, but Santa insists that he could still use their help. The elves and reindeer pile into (or onto) the train, and Santa talks to them by walkie-talkie. Will Santa’s plan to deliver all the toys throughout the world this way really work? More importantly, will Rudolph ever get well?
Santa’s Sleigh-Train is a delightful holiday story that almost any child can relate to. The perfect amount of text is included on each page, written in a simple font that makes it easy for kids to follow along and understand. Santa’s problem is stated right on page one (“Santa Claus was very worried. He had gotten so many letters from children asking for toys, he was afraid his sleigh would be overloaded.”) and reads rather abruptly. There is no traditional setup of the problem at hand.
Eleanor A. Hutton provides beautiful colorful illustrations. Whether she is depicting Santa surrounded by children’s letters or all of the other reindeer at Rudolph’s bedside, each picture is incredibly detailed and has an old-time quality to it that gives it lasting appeal.
Santa’s Sleigh-Train is a sweet story starring all of your favorite Christmas characters. Both the young and young at heart will love this spirited tale.
Reviewed by
Kelly Thunstrom
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
