Dear Santa

September 1, 2019
A self-reflective child reaps rewards on Christmas morning. Parker (who presents as a black boy with brown skin and Afro-textured hair in digital illustrations that have an aesthetic right out of current television animation) is nervous when his weekend art teacher, Ms. Holly, assigns the class to write a letter to Santa. Classmates (at least three of whom seem to be children of color while the teacher appears white) write letters extolling their own virtues and denying wrongdoing. In his letter, however, Parker decides to be honest about times he's been naughtier than nice. His acknowledged misdeeds are utterly benign or grounded in good intentions, and the accompanying illustrations show him interacting with his parents as he recalls behavior infractions throughout the epistolary section. Parker's mother appears black with the same skin tone as his while his father appears white, and this centering of a biracial child of color in an interracial family is notable among the many Christmas books with white protagonists. Ms. Holly mails the letters, and Santa (depicted as white, though elves are depicted with a range of skin tones) is moved by Parker's words. He rewards him with all the gifts on his list, a step that may ring false to less-fortunate kids, including those who use the backmatter letter-writing template to write to Saint Nick themselves. Inclusive in some ways but not others. (Picture book. 4-8)

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October 7, 2019
Instructed to write a letter to Santa, brown-skinned Parker’s classmates exaggerate good deeds, but he is truthful, aware that “Santa knew when kids were bad or good.” He confesses to various infractions: he fed his brussels sprouts to the dog, he didn’t brush his teeth “for eleven days” because two were loose, and he stayed up past bedtime to make his mother a birthday card. His honesty pays off on Christmas morn, when Parker discovers everything on his wish list under the tree—along with a letter from Santa praising him for admitting to, and taking responsibility for, his mistakes. Underscoring Hill’s upfront message, similarly straightforward digital cartoons by Joseph animate Parker and his peers, who (despite missing teeth) might be slightly older than the average Santa believer. Reproducible, festively bordered blank pages for kids to write their own letters to Santa wrap up this mild holiday tale. Ages 4–8.