Santa Is Coming To Indianapolis by Steve Smallman and illustrated by Robert Dunn and Katherine Kirkland is a marvelous addition to the canon of Christmas books to read to children. It has a sweet story starting with Santa asking his elf if the children from Indianapolis have been good. The elf responds that they’ve been “mostly” good but “especially good in the last few days!” This was good enough for Santa so he starts preparing his trip to deliver presents to the children of Indianapolis. They pack a huge sack and manage to get started in the sleigh after finding a missing reindeer. They get lost, but then find their way, deliver packages, eat snacks and return to the North Pole.
The pictures are bold and colorful. On many pages the pictures stand out particularly well against the dark night sky. One page features the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Lucas Oil Stadium, the State House and the Christmas light bedecked Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Indianapolis is featured many times. More interestingly, the names of various areas of town such as Cumberland, Irvington, Garfield Park and Greenwood are mentioned in the story.
This will be a very special book for children love the holiday season and like verification that Santa really is coming to their house. Who am I kidding? I love it and would read it to my adult children if they’d humor me. It is only $9.99 and would be reasonably priced at twice that. Bookmamas carries Santa Is Coming To Indianapolis.
