A child hopes to finally meet Santa after years of falling asleep while waiting for him.The bubbly young narrator is full of excitement over an upcoming trip to "the big fancy store in the city" to see Santa. In short, upbeat stanzas, the child explains that "every year / for the last five years / I've tried to stay awake / to meet him face-to-face." Sadly, the child always falls asleep. Still, the youngster knows plenty about Santa: He "smells like peppermint and chocolate. / Santa laughs like the sun clapping its hands. / Santa feels like a heart full of glitter." Cheerful, watercolorlike digital illustrations depict the lively, expressive protagonist, who's often surrounded by a sprinkle of sparkly dust. When Mama and her child arrive in the city, they see Santas everywhere-but none have the right smell, laugh, or feeling, not even the Santa at the big fancy store. Dispirited, the little one goes home with Mama, who wordlessly conveys her love by touching the child's head and tucking the youngster in. "Gabble-gosh! / I fell asleep again!" the child exclaims in the morning. But no matter: The young narrator knows Santa has been there because everything smells, sounds, and feels just right. Both Mama and the child present East Asian; their community is diverse.A warm Christmas story with a heart full of glitter. (Picture book. 4-8)

PreS-Gr 2 —Seeing the "real" Santa is often priority number one for Christmas-celebrating children, and this title is a fun, fresh take on a familiar holiday dilemma. A young Asian girl is overcome with excitement at the prospect of seeing Santa Claus this year at the fancy department store in the big city. After a train ride into the bustling city center, the young girl spies Santas of all shapes and sizes on street corners, park benches, and strolling down sidewalks. Confused, but eternally hopeful, the girl queues up in the department store line with her mom, only to be met with a Santa who is less-than-brimming with Christmas magic. Her disappointment is a nod to the iconic scene from the movie Elf of Buddy accusing a department store Santa of smelling like "beef and cheese," which is sure to elicit a giggle from those familiar with the holiday classic. The girl is sad all the way home, until she gets to her house and realizes that she still has one more chance to meet Santa. Ho's lyricism shines in this buoyant holiday picture book, and Phuong captures the emotional ebbs and flows of the young protagonist while peppering the illustrations with sparkling holiday magic. VERDICT A fine addition to Christmas collections.—Sarah Simpson

The Asian American girl who narrates this cheerful story has been on a quest to see Santa for five years t always falls asleep before his arrival. This year could be different, though, since her mother is taking her to the department store to meet him. Once they get there, the girl is bewildered by a horde of Santas of every size, shape, gender, age, and race (a nearby sign reads, "SANTA AUDITIONS!"). Happily, the girl is not stuck on the stereotypical image of Santa as a chubby old white man, and when she meets the department-store version, who looks the part, she measures him by her own standards as someone who smells like peppermint and chocolate and feels like they have a heart full of glitter. The digital illustrations have a retro, cozy feel to them. A powerful underlying message about not judging by appearances is complemented by a nice Christmas-morning resolution when the girl can tell Santa has visited thanks to the gifts and smells and feeling of joy in her home.