Santa Claus Can Drop Off This Book Anytime!

I love Christmas music. I always get a little giddy around Thanksgiving when the stores begin blaring Bing Crosby and the Chipmunks, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller. When I can turn on the radio and tune into a station playing exclusively Christmas tunes all month. When I can break out my own favorite albums, which I've dutifully neglected throughout the rest of the year. On Denver! On Muppets! On Diamond! On Larry! On Garrison Keillor and Pete, Paul and Mary! Oh, yes. It's enough to make me jump for joy.

I'm starting to think that Bruce Whatley must feel the same way. Here Comes Santa Claus is the third picture book I've come across that consists of the lyrics to a Christmas song and Whatley's illustrations. This Gene Autry classic, which he wrote along with Oakley Haldeman, has been covered by the likes of Alvin Seville and Elvis Presley, and it's unusual in the way that it directly mentions both Santa Claus and God in an apparent effort to bring the gap between secular and sacred celebrations of the holiday. The tone of the lyrics is both energetic and pleasantly reverent.

Whatley's version, which includes sheet music on the inside cover to make for easy sing-alongs, doesn't overlook that aspect of the song. In one of my favorite illustrations, little Matthew, the boy who is a focal point of this story, gets tenderly carried off to bed by his dad. Through the window, the silhouette of Santa's reindeer-drawn sleigh is clearly visible against the moon, while on the windowsill rests a Nativity scene.

The primary focus, though, is on Matthew, the sleepy lad who wants a dog for Christmas, and the white pup who stows away in Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. As soon as a group of carolers arrives at Matthew's door and we get a peek inside, it's pretty easy to guess that the boy and the dog are destined to cross paths. The illustrations follow both of their journeys until Santa finally realizes he has an unintended visitor aboard who may just be the answer to the last-minute wish of the little boy we have been observing.

I adore Whatley's rendition of I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, but this one shows even more creativity since he invents his own side narrative to augment the song lyrics. He's got lots of material if he wants to make a habit of creating picture books out of Christmas songs. Here's hoping there are lots more to come!