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By James Rice

Book Overview

"If you can buy just one Rice Santa book, this is the one."
--Times Record News, Wichita Falls, Texas

"Despite the hint in the title, it's wholesome enough for readers of any age."
--The Star Democrat, Easton, MD

Santa is fed up. Tired of playing nice with author and illustrator James Rice, he decides to give him a piece of his mind. What was wrong, he wonders, with the classic "The Night Before Christmas" tale? Why must he play sailor, firefighter, teacher, and doctor? Where will it end?

Full of frustration rather than his usual good cheer, Santa contests all of the guises that Mr. Rice placed upon him over the years-from wearing a Cajun muskrat suit to donning a Pennsylvania Dutch outfit; from traveling with bears, donkeys, and sea ponies to encountering naughty Irish elves, gators, and gun-toting rednecks. In the end, he reasserts himself as the jolly old Santa that he once was and gets back to business "in the same old-fashioned way/making his annual rounds/with gifts, reindeer, and sleigh."

According to Mr. Rice, this book was inspired by a dream he had where an old man was chasing him all night. He finally recognized him as Santa in all the outfits the author had concocted for him. Said Mr. Rice, "This is the only book I ever wrote that was inspired by a nightmare "

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1589802500
• ISBN13: 9781589802506
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.8" x 11.2"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

SANTA GETS HIS LONG OVERDUE REVENGE!

For years, the late writer/illustrator James Rice wrote an entire series of Night Before Christmas books where poor Santa Claus was put into one strange situation after another...in books like A Cajun Night Before Christmas, A Cowboy Night Before Christmas, and Irish Night Before Christmas, and a Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas, Ol' St. Nick found himself having to contend with his slay being pulled by gators, longhorn steer, donkeys, and big brown bears. He had to endure the torture of wearing an itchy Santa suite made from muskrat, and put up with a bunch of wild leprechauns. All this abuse has Santa feeling mighty low. As Santa recalls all of these affronts to his tradition in a whirlwind tour of the previous books in the series, Santa is now determined to find the man responsible and deliver some good old fashioned, North Pole justice, and get back to being the jolly old elf in Clement Moore's original poem. Santa's revenge makes for a hilarious curtain call for Rice who passed away in 2004. Rice wrote and illustrated this wrap-up title to the series in an almost apologetic style...perhaps he knew himself that he had been pretty tough on Santa. Santa's Revenge is marvelously illustrated with a lot of Christmas whimsy, especially when Santa finally tracks down Mr. Rice! While the reading of the previous books in the series isn't a prerequisite, it will certainly help explain the story somewhat better. A wonderful book for kids or adults and it should become a great holiday tradition. The book is 32 pages, hardcover with a dust jacket. Reviewed by Tim Janson