Santa Post by Emma Yarlett
Santa receives a letter from a little girl called Amy just five days before Christmas. Unfortunately, it has several holes in it and he can’t see what Amy has requested because that part is illegible. Santa enlists his elves, a polar bear and the reindeers, who “put their antlers together” to try to come up with the perfect present for Amy. They all choose something different, and hilariously inappropriate, and send it to Santa, and the reader gets to open each parcel and read its accompanying note.
The illustrations are gorgeous; extremely cute and colourful. The picture of Santa and his sleigh flying against a moonlit purple sky is particularly striking. I love all the little details such as Santa’s snowman apron, his candy cane pen, the “elfpress” post and the terrifying toy clown. The elves look extremely lively and delightfully full of mischief, and it’s so funny how the reindeers’ vocabulary is full of surfer slang.
Emma Yarlett is the talented creator of Dragon Post and Beast Feast and has also illustrated lots of books by other authors. Emma was told by lots of people that she would never have a career in art or writing. Luckily, she didn't listen and her work has now been published on five continents.
I was delighted to see Amy's letter to Santa come down his chimney. This reminded me of how after we wrote our Santa letters when I was younger, my parents would send them by putting them in the fire. I didn't think any other families did this, although it's clearly not the most reliable method. I never got a Mr. Frosty despite asking for one annually and I'm assuming now that this item was always obscured by a hole or a scorch mark!
It’s brilliant how you can open all the parcels and letters without having to remove them. They all remain firmly stuck within the book, so you don’t have to worry about anything getting lost. This fabulously fun-filled story would bring a smile to the face of even the biggest Scrooge and is certain to become a festive favourite.
Title: Santa Post
Author and Illustrator: Emma Yarlett
Publisher: Walker Books
Publication Date: 5th November 2020
ISBN: 9781406392197