How to Catch Santa (How to)

In this continuation of Reagan and Wildish's tongue-in-cheek series of "how to" books, an unseen narrator presents an array of ideas for catching Santa, detaining him long enough to answer questions about how the reindeer fly or how he fits down chimneys. "Be crafty! Be clever! Be gentle," writes Reagan, dismissing ideas like lassoing Santa like a steer for ones like leaving him a note filled with glitter, so that he'll leave a trail. Wildish's illustrations embrace the comedy of the narrator's suggestions; in a departure from the brightly colored palette of most of the scenes, he offers a quiet view of snowy suburban rooftops by night, as the narrator instructs readers to listen for "Santa sounds" like "Santa doing stretches on your neighbor's roof." Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Jamie Weiss Chilton, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Vicki Willden-Lebrecht, Bright Agency. (Oct.)

PreS-Gr 2--From the team behind How to Babysit a Grandpa (2012) comes this similar guide with a glitterized cover. It's packed with tongue-in-cheek advice on how to catch Santa and then what to do with him. You can't keep him long--he's busy! Questions to ask and things to tell him must be thought of in advance. Techniques for his capture will require some effort, as illustrated by several humorous scenarios. Don't be too disappointed if you don't catch him--there's always next year! VERDICT Clever, chuckle-worthy fare in a nonreligious context.--Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library