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Summary
Summary
Santa has a problem. This kid? Harold? Santa doesn't think he's real. He WANTS to believe in Harold - after all, Harold is one of the most magical parts of Christmas. Getting Harold's letters, eating the cookies he leaves out, feeding his carrots to the reindeer. what would Christmas be without that? But Santa's just not sure. Some of his friends are telling him they think Harold's not real. And the Harold that sat on his knee last Christmas looked AWFULLY different. Santa comes up with a plan to find out once and for all if Harold really exists, with hilarious consequences.
Author Notes
MAUREEN FERGUS is the author of many award-winning books for kids and teens, including InvisiBill and The Day My Mom Came to Kindergarten . Her books have won the McNally Robinson Books for Young People Award, the Diamond Willow, the Blue Spruce and the Best Books for Kids and the OLA Best Bets Award. Maureen works as the Managing Director of a financial services firm, coaches her kids' soccer teams, studies karate, bakes muffins, makes lunches and hangs out with her family- her husband, their three kids and Buddy the Wonder Dog. The author lives in Winnipeg, MB.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Santa seems mopey lately. When pressed by Mrs. Claus, he tells her that he no longer believes in Harold (though he still likes the idea of Harold). He hasn't stopped believing in all children-just Harold. Meanwhile, Harold is having his own doubts about the jolly old elf. He conceals himself behind an armchair on Christmas Eve, hopeful that Santa will prove himself. When Santa arrives, he hides behind the sofa to await Harold's morning dash to the gifts (though he forgets to put them under the tree first). In the morning, Harold's interracial parents spy him, asleep in his hiding spot. When they coax him out with some gentle teasing, Santa suddenly appears, shouting, "YOU'RE REAL!" and eliciting a hilarious coffee spit take from Dad. Harold is just as excited to see that Santa is real, and runs to hug him. They hang out together, reading comics and playing games, until the reindeer stomp on the roof to remind Santa they are waiting for him. Throughout, readers will enjoy keeping track of Santa's cat and Harold's turtle, who are charmingly foreshadowed playing Scrabble on the opening endpapers. VERDICT A fun story and a great antidote to holiday skepticism.-Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In a very funny story that flips the script on children's doubts about the existence of Santa Claus, a grumpy Santa reveals that he has stopped believing in a boy named Harold. Fergus's (the Buddy and Earl series) inversions of charges often leveled against Santa are deliciously fun. "That Harold who sat on my knee at the mall last year didn't even look like the real Harold," Santa tells Mrs. Claus. Atkinson (Explorers of the Wild) gleefully channels Santa's surliness (his scowls and frowns suggest a child in the throes of a very bad mood), and he gives Harold (who is white) interracial parents, which could give the story added resonance for adopted children. Harold is just as skeptical about Santa, but Christmas morning lets them put their doubts to rest. Fergus and Atkinson commit fully to their premise, working in comic synch to deliver laughs on every page. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
A boy named Harold questions Santa's existence, so he hides in his living room on Christmas Eve to learn the truth. Meanwhile, Santa has been questioning Harold's existence, so he hides behind Harold's couch on Christmas morning to get some answers. The execution isn't up to the terrific premise, but the art, while overcomplicated, hits humorous notes, especially Harold's dad's spit-take. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Santa decides that one of the boys on his list, Harold, isnt realjust a put-on by the people who are supposedly his parentswhile Harold the boy doubts that Santa is real.Just prior to Christmas, Santa is in a cranky mood because he is sure that Harold the boy has been made up to trick him. Mrs. Claus tries to calm him, but Santa grows increasingly angry and demands proof. At the same time, Harold himself is beginning to think Santa might not be real, leaving the boy cranky about the holiday. Harold decides to hide behind an armchair in his living room (where he then falls asleep). After all his toy deliveries, Santa decides to hide behind the sofa in Harolds living room to see if Harold will come out on Christmas morning (and Santa falls asleep). In a funny climax, Santa and Harold meet with matching shrieks of Youre real! Computer-generated illustrations have a retro feel, with patterned backgrounds and a palette of muted pastels. This Santa is an exceptionally rotund white fellow with a huge, circular body and a gray beard. Harolds dad is black, and his mom has brown hair and tan skin. Harold has brown hair and tan skin like his mom and big, round glasses that subtly underscore his connection to roly-poly Santa. An amusing story with the welcome inclusion of a multiracial family. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Relatable and entertaining, this tongue-in-cheek picture book turns a child's inevitable disbelief of Santa Claus on its head. Up in the North Pole, just before Christmas, Santa should be preparing, but instead he's stewing over a boy named Harold. I don't believe in Harold anymore, he tells a nonplussed Mrs. Claus. I'm pretty sure his mom writes his Santa letter. Kids getting older are sure to recognize some of Santa's arguments (Only a baby would believe in Harold). Farther south, Harold is having some problems of his own, and as Christmas comes, he and Santa set out on mutual quests to prove that the other doesn't exist. The metaphor doesn't always hold up perfectly, but readers young and old will be delighted by the wonderfully detailed digital illustrations check out Mrs. Claus' reindeer slippers and Santa's narwhal mug! Harold's multiracial family, Mrs. Claus' sage advice, and the ultimate happy ending make this a fine inclusion in the Christmas canon for kids who aren't yet ready to doubt.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2016 Booklist
