The Three Wishes: A Christmas Story
by Alan Snow (Author)
From bestselling children's author and illustrator Alan Snow comes the perfect Father Christmas origin story
A beautiful, fresh take on a classic tale, once read it will become a family Christmas tradition forever.
Coming together like a perfect festive jigsaw, this story explains all of the traditions and myths around Santa Claus, from how he travels around the world in one night, how his sleigh and reindeer can fly, and why he leaves presents, to the origins of his red coat.
A young boy is herding his family’s reindeer when they are drawn into a mysterious cave. The cave is the holder of eternal summer, looked after by three strange characters – a wooden creature, a bird and a fish. Once entered, the cave cannot be left without time in the outside world standing still. In his sadness at not being able to leave, the boy is granted three wishes and chooses freedom, happiness and time. He is told that they will all be granted – eventually.
After the first year of working hard in the summer cave, the boy is allowed to see his family in the outside world. Time stands still as he visits his parents, and he leaves gifts behind to show that he has visited. As the years go by, this annual visit continues and he begins to call on not only his parents, but more and more other families… and Christmas traditions as we know them, start to be created.
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School Library Journal
K-Gr 3—In this Nordic origin story of Santa Claus, a young boy, although afraid of the dark, is tasked with caring for the family deer during the long winter nights. He loses the deer and, frightened and cold, falls asleep in the snow, only to be awakened by deer bells that lead him to an underground world of endless summer. He can never leave but is granted three wishes. He asks for freedom, happiness, and time. Eventually he is allowed to visit his family, who remain asleep during his visit. He leaves them small gifts. Year after year he returns with gifts and his family leave him things in return: warm food, a red and white fur outfit. His companions in the underworld also give him a gift: a flying sled pulled by a reindeer. Bright, detailed folk art accompanies this alternate version of gift-giving, but the cheerful intentions are often overwhelmed by the darker elements, such as separation from family and the inability to return home. VERDICT An unusual view of St. Nick, this tale may be disturbing for young children.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling Sch., Pawling, NY
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission
Alan Snow is an award-winning children's book illustrator and designer who has worked on more than 160 books. His novel, Here Be Monsters (OUP, 2005), was made into an animated film, The Boxtrolls, which spent several weeks at the top of the UK box office in 2015. Alan has won numerous awards for his work as a children's book illustrator as well as for design and computer animation.
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV012030 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | General
JUV002290 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Deer, Moose & Caribou
JUV017010 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Christmas & Advent
