SANTA'S FIRST CHRISTMAS

Even the man with the bag needs a little help getting into the Yuletide spirit.

Barnett returns with yet another Christmas title, following How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? (2023), illustrated by Jon Klassen. Prepare for some potential confusion, since the titular “first Christmas” isn’t about the first time Santa started delivering gifts, but rather the first Christmas Day he’s celebrated himself. Usually after working hard on Christmas Eve, Santa sleeps in an extra half hour and then gets right back to work. The elves and a concerned polar bear decide to take matters into their own hands, so this year they surprise Santa with breakfast in bed on Christmas morning, then plunge into other activities: trimming a Christmas tree, stringing the North Pole up with lights, baking cookies, reading stories aloud, giving Santa presents, and enjoying a feast so decadent that it would make a reformed Grinch blush. Barnett narrates with a pitch-perfect mixture of droll amusement and holiday charm: Santa initially appears to be humoring his elves, only to really get into the spirit himself. Smith’s signature illustrations rely on bright colors and shapes. This seeming simplicity is belied by each scene’s unique lighting and reflections, imbuing everything with a singular warmth. Santa is pink-skinned and rosy-cheeked; the elves vary in skin tone.

Cozier than a roaring fire and sweeter than milk and cookies, this earns its “Christmas classic” stripes with flying colors.