Santa Claus: The Movie

The first 15 minutes of Santa Claus the Movie feature the Santa origin story I believed in for most of my young life. An old toymaker and his wife travel from house to house on Christmas eve delivering toys, but when, one year, a blizzard gets to be too much, they find themselves far from home--at the north pole, in fact, of course. And then the man becomes Santa Claus, with special powers, so that he can continue his toy giving tradition for children all over the world.

Then, of course, complications arise, and it's up to Santa to save the day. Will he succeed? It's a Christmas movie, what do you think?

I still have a fond spot in my heart for the opening scenes, the storytelling and the carved wooden toys. I'm less able to sit through the 80s stylings of the Elf (Dudley Moore) and corporate toymaker (John Lithgow) and their Christmas 2 plot... But it is still the first thing I think of when I think of John Lithgow.

This is a fun one for the kids, and if you haven't seen it, it's worth checking out or borrowing, at least, for the beginning, still one of my favorite Santa stories. And David Huddleston is still the ultimate Santa, if you ask me.

When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke

Tired of a fat, old Santa pulled by eight reindeer? Of one man making the rounds of the entire earth in a single night? Of jolly elves making toys at the north pole? Well, who really gets TIRED of that?

BUT if you would like a variation on the Santa Claus mythology, perhaps you might enjoy When Santa Fell to Earth, by Cornelia Funke, a fresh take on how Santa gets to everyone in one night.

I read through this in one delightful sitting, so I'd recommend it as a quick read for a holiday afternoon, or as something to share with children as a chapter-a-day read through the holiday season. It's imaginative, fresh, funny, and sweet, and a perfect Christmas treat.

http://www.corneliafunke.de/en/index.html