Merry Christmas, Dear Mars
by Penny Parker Klostermann; illus. by Estrela Lourenço
Primary    Godwin/Holt    32 pp.
9/24    9781250870308    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781250399557    $11.99

Santa’s sleigh crash lands on Mars, and technicians from the Outer Space Rescue Division are called in to diagnose the problem: “Malfunctions are due to our cosmic conditions!” Working together, Santa and the Martian techs upgrade the sleigh (“The tinsel-trimmed turbines were programmed to MAX. /The runners were polished with peppermint wax”) and provide “astro-style suits” for the reindeer. Now, Santa can fill Martian stockings with “celestial sweets” and “savor his snack / in the Christmas tree’s glow.” The rhyming “Night Before Christmas”–style text gets a (rocket) boost from the energetic digital illustrations’ slightly retro vibe.

From the ">November/December 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.