A Kidnapped Santa Claus
Author: L Frank Baum (American, 1856-1919)Originally published: 1902; 1904
Page count: 100; 12
Dates read: 11/27/23-11/16/23; 11/17/23-11/17/23
First sentence:
"Have you heard of the great Forest of Burzee?" -Life
2023 book goal progress: 23 out of 23
Christmas!
Read my other book reviews for my 2023 goals HERE.
Description on back of book:
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus tells the captivating story of Claus, a child found and raised in the magical Forest of Burzee by a wood-nymph. Among the immortals, Claus grows into an innocent youth, until the day when he discovers the misery that rules the human world and hovers, like a shadow, above the heads of the children. Now, in an attempt to ease human suffering, he, with the help of his immortal friends, will work to bring joy to the children and teach them, for the sake of humanity, the importance of sharing and caring for each other.
Description on back of book:
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus tells the captivating story of Claus, a child found and raised in the magical Forest of Burzee by a wood-nymph. Among the immortals, Claus grows into an innocent youth, until the day when he discovers the misery that rules the human world and hovers, like a shadow, above the heads of the children. Now, in an attempt to ease human suffering, he, with the help of his immortal friends, will work to bring joy to the children and teach them, for the sake of humanity, the importance of sharing and caring for each other.
A Kidnapped Santa Claus tells the story of Santa being kidnapped from the Laughing Valley by the five Daemons of the Caves (Selfishness, Envy, Hatred, Malice, and Repentance) on Christmas Eve. Can Christmas be saved?
First sentence:
"Have you heard of the great Forest of Burzee?" -Life
"Santa Claus lives in the Laughing Valley, where stands the big, rambling castle in which his toys are manufactured." -Kidnapped
Favorite quotes:
"Childhood is the time of man's greatest content. 'Tis during these years of innocent pleasure that the little ones are most often free from care. All seem equally fair and sweet while they are babes. Their joy is in being alive, and they do not stop to think. In after years, the doom of mankind overtakes them, and they find they must struggle and worry, work and fret, to gain the wealth that is so dear to the hearts of men."
Favorite quotes:
"Childhood is the time of man's greatest content. 'Tis during these years of innocent pleasure that the little ones are most often free from care. All seem equally fair and sweet while they are babes. Their joy is in being alive, and they do not stop to think. In after years, the doom of mankind overtakes them, and they find they must struggle and worry, work and fret, to gain the wealth that is so dear to the hearts of men."
-Life
"A generous deed lives longer than a great battle or a king's decree or a scholar's essay because it spreads and leaves its mark on all nature and endures through many generations."
-Life
"It is called the Laughing Valley because everything there is happy and gay. The brook chuckles to itself as it leaps rollicking between its green banks; the wind whistles merrily in the trees; the sunbeams dance lightly over the soft grass; and the violets and wild flowers look smilingly up from their green nests."
-Kidnapped
CAWPILE Rating (combined for both): Overall - 8/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters - 9
Atmosphere - 9
Writing Style - 9
Plot - 7
Intrigue - 7
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 8
What is a CAWPILE Rating?
Review:
CAWPILE Rating (combined for both): Overall - 8/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters - 9
Atmosphere - 9
Writing Style - 9
Plot - 7
Intrigue - 7
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 8
What is a CAWPILE Rating?
Review:
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus was written like a fairy tale and it's a mythology all about Santa Claus, broken into 3 parts: youth, manhood, and old age. You meet many characters including Jack Frost and a few select deer, 10 to be exact, who became reindeer to work for Santa, and the food they ate to give them special powers. Of which, flight is not one of their powers - they're just especially swift and agile (and beautiful). Their names are Glossie, Flossie, Racer, Pacer, Reckless, Speckless, Fearless, Peerless, Ready, and Steady.
The story also explains where Santa grew up, and who named and raised him. It tells where he lives now, who he works with, how and why he started making toys, why he travels in one night, why he goes down chimneys, how he delivers gifts to those without a chimney, how Christmas trees started, how he became immortal, and much more! I highly recommend this quick read into the lore of Santa Claus!
A Kidnapped Santa Claus was a short story about Santa Claus keeping his good spirits despite being tempted and tested by various personified vices. It was a fun story.
Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let L Frank Baum have the last words:
"I have looked upon man, finding him doomed to live for a brief space upon earth, to toil for the things he needs, to fade into old age, and then to pass away as the leaves of autumn. Yet every man has his mission, which is to leave the world better, in some way, than he found it."
-Claus in Life, Childhood
"Afterward, when a child was naughty or disobedient, its mother would say: 'You must pray to the good Santa Claus for forgiveness. He does not like naughty children, and, unless you repent, he will bring you no more pretty toys.' But Santa Claus himself would not have approved of this speech. He knew that the best of children were sometimes naughty, and that the naughty ones were often good."
-Life, Manhood
"But when many years had rolled away, Santa Claus grew old. The long beard of golden brown that once covered his cheeks and chin gradually became gray, and finally turned to pure white. His hair was white, too, and there were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, which showed plainly when he laughed. He had never been a very tall man, and now he became fat and waddled very much like a duck when he walked. But in spite of these things, he remained as lively as ever, and was just as jolly and gay, and his eyes sparkled as brightly as they did that first day when he came to the Laughing Valley."
-Life, Old Age
