What Does Mrs. Claus Do? by Kate Wharton, illustrated by Christian SladeReview by Shelly Burns (Write for a Reader)
Summary
Many stories are written about Santa Claus so we all know what he does on Christmas, but no one really knows about Mrs. Claus. Does she just sit around and wait until Santa returns? Is she hosting a party while he’s gone? Could she be a…whale rider, sushi chef, snowmobile chopper, heli-ski-jump-mountain-top hopper? After reading this book you’ll be asking yourself, what can’t Mrs. Claus do?
My Review
I really enjoyed this story. I love Christmas and try to read every Christmas picture book that I can. This one is going on my list of “must read to the students” list. I know that they will be laughing, as I was, when they read this. Not only does Kate Wharton put a comical spin on Mrs. Claus, she does it through rhyme which children will pick up on and enjoy the rhythmic quality of this story. I found myself wanting to read it again as soon as I was finished with it, and I imagine that is how a child would feel about it as well. The illustrations that Christian Slade did are just great! They add to the comedy of the entire thing.
According to the story, Mrs. Claus has her own things to do while Santa is gone. My favorite part is when Santa returns.
“When Santa comes home and hangs up his pack, Mrs. Claus has just secretly beaten him back. Are you thinking, ‘She can’t do that all in one night! There’s not enough time!’? And perhaps you are right. But then, if the stories of Santa are true, why couldn’t Mrs. Claus do it all too?”
The picture shows Mrs. Claus sitting in her rocker with a cup of cocoa, like she’s been there all night, just waiting on him to return.
As a teacher, I could see using this with the students to springboard some of their own writing and artwork about what Mrs. Claus does. I think that they could come up with some very creative ideas, maybe even some that Kate Wharton didn’t think of. I know it would be a hit in my classroom. I also think that young children will fall in love with this story.
It’s time for us to see Christmas from a different perspective, that of Mrs. Claus. Thank you, Kate Wharton, for allowing us to do that!
What Other Bloggers Are Saying:
A Patchwork of Books: "You just never know what that sneaky Mrs. Claus may be up to..." (read more...)
Simply Sensational Divas Review: "I love the rhythm and the rhyming; the words flow nicely and easily together. I love the educational opportunities the words provide." (read more...)
Rhyme of the Day: "It seems like something kids would like, whether they "believe in Santa" or not. " (read more...)
More Info:
- Reading level: Ages 9-12
- Hardcover: 32 pages
- Publisher: Tricycle Press (October 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1582461643
- ISBN-13: 978-1582461649
- Source: Review copy from publisher
LOL. This sounds great. I'll look for it. My hubby would enjoy reading it to his first graders.
ReplyDeleteDaisy,
ReplyDeleteIt's a really cute book, and I think it has tons of great learning opportunities about careers. The great thing is that with books like this, kids won't feel like learning is boring.