Have you ever thought what the world would be like if I didn't carry that sack and make that sleigh ride each year? I know one thing; there wouldn't be a need for a Naughty and Nice list anymore. Can you imagine all those children and their sad little faces? I could never give up this cause because the children are so angelic with those bright and cheery smiles when they look at you or the presents you leave on Christmas morning. -- Santa Claus

Have you ever thought what the world would be like if I didnt carry that sack and make that sleigh ride each year? I know one thing; there wouldnt be a need for a Naughty and Nice list anymore. Can you imagine all those children and their sad little faces? I could never give up this cause because the children are so angelic with those bright and cheery smiles when they look at you or the presents you leave on Christmas morning. -- Santa Claus

Santa Claus brings surprises for children.

An entertaining, often surprising look at the life of the world’s most influential fictional character. He is the embodiment of charity and generosity, a creation of mythology, a tool of clever capitalists. The very idea of him is enduring and powerful. Santa Claus was born in early-nineteenth-century America, but his family tree goes back seven hundred years to Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Intervening generations were shaggy and strange — whip-wielding menaces to naughty boys and girls. Yet as the raucous, outdoor, alcohol-fuelled holiday gave way to a more domestic, sentimental model, a new kind of gift-bringer was called for — a loveable elf, still judgmental but far less threatening. In this engaging social and cultural history, Gerry Bowler examines the place of Santa Claus in history, literature, advertising, and art. He traces his metamorphosis from a beardless youth into a red-suited peddler. He reveals the lesser-known aspects of the gift-bringer’s life — Santa’s involvement with social and political causes of all stripes (he enlisted on the Union side in the American Civil War), his starring role in the movies and as adman for gun-makers and insurance companies. And he demolishes the myths surrounding Santa Claus and Coca-Cola. Santa Claus: A Biography will stand as the classic work on the long-lived and multifarious Mr. Claus.

During his annual Christmas eve flight, Santa discovers a lost puppy and must return it to its home.

When eight-year-old Chris discovers a fluffy, white puppy wedged inside his family's chimney on Christmas morning, he knows exactly how it got there because the dog tells him. It turns out Peppermint Bark stowed away in Santa's sleigh, go left behind accidentally, and he can talk! Now Chris must convince his too-cool big sister, Holly, and her best friend, Ivy, that this is Santa's puppy. Chris seems to be the only one who understands what the dog is saying, but Peppermint Bark needs all of their help. If they don't find a portal back to the North Pole before Christmas Day ends, the little dog will be stuck in Poinsettia until next year! Do the kids have enough Christmas spirit to work together and help the jolly little dog jingle all the way home?

Although Santa Claus is nearly perfect, he cannot resist a plate of cookies, remember Mrs. Claus's grocery list, or even shave.