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Jolly Old Santa Claus
Santa Claus, Mrs. Santa, and the elves work hard to get everything ready for Christmas
24 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1984
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 1, 2026
I actually own the original 1978 version of this book, authored my Maryjane H. Tonn, which is no longer in print in this format due to Santa and the "brownies" occasionally portrayed as smoking pipes in the George Hinke artwork. It is a beloved treasure that I have read on Christmas Eve since I knew how to read and read to me by my father before that. The text leads you through an exploration of the North Pole deep in Christmas preparation, but it is really the outstanding illustrations that bring the magic to life. I look forward to the sweet nostalgia of reliving this precious childhood journey each year.
January 10, 2022
The pictures are vibrant and creepily realistic which makes them fascinating to look at. For some reason, this book refers to Santa's elves as "Brownies." I am not sure why as I have never heard this term before. Anyways, the storyline of this book is not very good, but it can be enjoyed just by looking at the brilliant, but at the same time, eery, illustrations.
December 15, 2024
This 'staple-bound' copy remains my favourite incarnation of this holiday classic. Truly incredible illustrations by the inimitable George Hinke. Unlike many reprints, this edition features full-page reproductions of the illustrations, as well as an enchanting 'back cover' scene of Santa's Brownies pillow-fighting! Indeed, the images in this book capture the magic of Santa Claus and the North Pole like few others I've seen.
January 11, 2022
This book is about Santa and his brownies that are hard at work. First he goes to the kitchen were Mrs. Santa is baking with the brownies. Then they go to the toy shop were Santa checks his list of toys. Now he reads the letters the boys and girls sent him. Now him and his brownies pack all the Christmas trees. Off the brownies go to bed.
December 18, 2020
This is a reproduction of an old favorite from when I was little! The illustrations are fabulous. I remember studying them, looking for certain elves and inspecting all the details of what was going on in the background of each page!
December 24, 2021
The book is good. It has good detailed pictures. The book is about how Santa Claus gets ready for Christmas. The reason I give it 4 stars is because I don't like how they called the elf brownies. The rest of the book is fine.
March 1, 2017
One of the best Santa Claus books that I've ever seen. Amazing artwork and very memorable. A book from my childhood.
December 12, 2018
My grandmother wanted all of her grandkids to have a copy of this book. It's a beautiful book written in rhyme. The illustrations are fun too. A must read every Christmas.
October 17, 2019
A children's book with incredible illustrations of Santa Claus and the North Pole. A childhood favorite that remains a favorite today.
November 13, 2021
I enjoyed the artwork, but found the story a bit boring.
January 1, 2022
We’ve been reading this book for four generations!
A Christmas classic!
A Christmas classic!
August 26, 2017
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Though it has probably been twenty years, I still think of Jolly Old Santa Claus as a "new" addition to my family's Christmas Eve repertoire. We always read Twas the Night Before Christmas after church on Christmas Eve from the time I was about two years old, but we didn't discover Jolly Old Santa Claus until I was in mid-to-late elementary school, so though it became a tradition, it wasn't part of our original tradition.
I think we took to it so strongly, though, for two reasons - George Hinke's oil paintings, and the story's exploration of the inner workings of the North Pole.
The story is attributed to two different people on the editions in print today - Sparkie is listed as the author on the 1996 hardcover, and Maryjane Hooper Tonn is the author of the 2010 version being sold by Ideals Books. Neither of these is the edition I read, however. My copy was a paperback that looked like the picture above, and it was written by Alice Leedy Mason and published in 1984. I don't think this book contains the original text, but because it's the story I know, I tend to think of it as superior.
In the story I remember, Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the elves are busy preparing for Santa's Christmas Eve delivery. The elves - called "brownies" in this book - have personalities similar to those of Snow White's seven dwarves, including a Doc-like Grandpa and a lazy brownie who refuses to do any work. Also featured in the book are the naughty and nice list, complete with tons of names written on it, Santa's sleigh, and all his reindeer (minus Rudolph). The tone of the story is that of someone giving a curious child a tour of Santa's workshop, and Santa himself seems to be lurking outside of every page, giving the reader the anticipatory sense that he or she might run into him at any moment. The illustrations are so vivid and life-like, that they make the legend of Santa Claus seem completely real and plausible, and would make any child think she heard sleigh bells as she drifted off to sleep. Reading the story is only half the fun - we used to spend most of our time with the book trying to decide which brownie was which and creating our own theories about what was going on in the workshop that wasn't written on the page.
The great thing about Santa Claus stories is that they never really go out of date. This story was first published in its original version in 1961, and still exists in some form today. I haven't read it in a number of years now, but it remains one of my fondest holiday memories.
Though it has probably been twenty years, I still think of Jolly Old Santa Claus as a "new" addition to my family's Christmas Eve repertoire. We always read Twas the Night Before Christmas after church on Christmas Eve from the time I was about two years old, but we didn't discover Jolly Old Santa Claus until I was in mid-to-late elementary school, so though it became a tradition, it wasn't part of our original tradition.
I think we took to it so strongly, though, for two reasons - George Hinke's oil paintings, and the story's exploration of the inner workings of the North Pole.
The story is attributed to two different people on the editions in print today - Sparkie is listed as the author on the 1996 hardcover, and Maryjane Hooper Tonn is the author of the 2010 version being sold by Ideals Books. Neither of these is the edition I read, however. My copy was a paperback that looked like the picture above, and it was written by Alice Leedy Mason and published in 1984. I don't think this book contains the original text, but because it's the story I know, I tend to think of it as superior.
In the story I remember, Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the elves are busy preparing for Santa's Christmas Eve delivery. The elves - called "brownies" in this book - have personalities similar to those of Snow White's seven dwarves, including a Doc-like Grandpa and a lazy brownie who refuses to do any work. Also featured in the book are the naughty and nice list, complete with tons of names written on it, Santa's sleigh, and all his reindeer (minus Rudolph). The tone of the story is that of someone giving a curious child a tour of Santa's workshop, and Santa himself seems to be lurking outside of every page, giving the reader the anticipatory sense that he or she might run into him at any moment. The illustrations are so vivid and life-like, that they make the legend of Santa Claus seem completely real and plausible, and would make any child think she heard sleigh bells as she drifted off to sleep. Reading the story is only half the fun - we used to spend most of our time with the book trying to decide which brownie was which and creating our own theories about what was going on in the workshop that wasn't written on the page.
The great thing about Santa Claus stories is that they never really go out of date. This story was first published in its original version in 1961, and still exists in some form today. I haven't read it in a number of years now, but it remains one of my fondest holiday memories.
December 15, 2014
I think this was a good book and a lot of kids might like it. The book is mostly pictures but is still good.
Plot- Santa and his elves get ready for Christmas night. They prep the reindeer and sleigh. Then Santa goes on his way to deliver toys and comes home and rests with a cup of hot coco.
Characterization- Santa is the main character and he is said to be a jolly good fellow.
Mrs. Clause is Santa’s wife she helped him with getting things ready for Christmas.
The Elves played a big part in the book. They are Santa’s workers called brownies. They did most of the work to get everything completed for Christmas.
Impact of settings- The story takes place in the North Pole on Christmas Eve. I think if the story took place in a different place it would really change the story line.
I would recommend this book to young kids ages 3-8 or anyone who likes Christmas books, because it shows good Christmas spirit and is easy to read.
Plot- Santa and his elves get ready for Christmas night. They prep the reindeer and sleigh. Then Santa goes on his way to deliver toys and comes home and rests with a cup of hot coco.
Characterization- Santa is the main character and he is said to be a jolly good fellow.
Mrs. Clause is Santa’s wife she helped him with getting things ready for Christmas.
The Elves played a big part in the book. They are Santa’s workers called brownies. They did most of the work to get everything completed for Christmas.
Impact of settings- The story takes place in the North Pole on Christmas Eve. I think if the story took place in a different place it would really change the story line.
I would recommend this book to young kids ages 3-8 or anyone who likes Christmas books, because it shows good Christmas spirit and is easy to read.
June 21, 2009
I bought this one because the copy my mother had read to me as a child was growing old. I was disappointed to find that although there was still the beautiful art work, the text was totally different.
December 24, 2015
This delightfully illustrated book describes Santa's life in the North Pole. I like how the author included things to look for in the illustrations as part of the text, making this an interactive treat for children, young and old.
December 10, 2014
The 4 is on Jonah's behalf. I like the art work but the poem is strained
December 20, 2016
This was an enjoyable little book. I have fond memories of it from an edition my grandmother had when I was a boy. I always loved the pictures, especially all the little details.
December 14, 2018
The pictures in this book are amazing and would be enough to tell the story. The book is written rhyming verse and is great to read during the holiday season.
March 6, 2020
My all time favorite childhood Christmas book. The illustrations just glow. ❤️
September 30, 2012
Bellas ilustraciones y los versos son lindos.
September 17, 2014
Great drawings
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews