Review - Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole

Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole
by Bob Raczka
illustrated by Chuck Groenink
Date: 2014
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Reading level: C
Book type: illustrated poetry collection
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

December 1st
White envelopes float
from my overfilled mailbox—
December's first storm.

You know that Santa can fly a sleigh, squeeze down chimneys, and circle the globe in a night. But did you know that another of his talents is writing haiku?

These twenty-five short poems—composed by Santa himself—give you a peek into life at the North Pole as the December days tick down to Christmas. See the hustle and bustle of the elves' workshop, feel the serenity of moonlight on fresh snow, and find out how Santa and Mrs. Claus keep busy as Santa's big night draws near.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is an interesting concept. Here are a bunch of haikus, supposedly written by Santa after he fell in love with the poetry form.

I was a little bit underwhelmed. The premise of one haiku a day until Christmas is fine. The poems themselves are okay. The illustrations are perhaps the strongest part, evoking the sights and sensations of the far north. But I didn't love this.

Fans of poetry might enjoy this more than I did. It's not bad... but I don't feel like reading it again.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing & Editing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall Rating: 3.17 out of 5 ladybugs