Knowing how much my son loved the Dear Zoo book, when I saw that there was a Dear Santa book by the same author (Rod Campbell) it was pretty much a must have. Even better when I found it for £1.99 from Red House Books - bargain!

Our version of the book is paperback, although it is also available in hard back. For those familiar with the Dear Zoo story (if not, see my earlier review!), it follows along the same line. The writer has written to Santa to ask for a present and Santa wraps up all sorts of presents before realising that there is something not quite right about them - too small/big, too noisy etc. He eventually settles on a kitten (which has a fluffy textured patch on it so great for young babies too) which is perfect. On each page there is big bold text, which is repetitive and there are flaps for the child to lift - the wrapping paper to uncover the gift.

As for the Dear Zoo book, this is a lovely short story that my son really enjoys. He loves the interaction of waiting until the right point in the story to lift the flap and reveal the present. It has also taught him words that he may not have come across in everyday situations yet - such as kite and finger paints. My son loves animals so this probably doesn't hold his attention for as long as the Dear Zoo book but we usually read it two or three times in one sitting still.

The pages are paper and the flaps are a thin cardboard, which could present an issue with younger children as I would imagine that they could be easily ripped. However, my son is 20 months and has learnt to turn pages carefully so this is not too much of an issue for us.

There are just one or two things that I, as a parent, would change. Firstly, we will be using 'Father Christmas' rather than 'Santa' but I have found very few books that use this. Most festive books refer to Santa - we also have the 'That's not my Santa' book. Also, as my son gets older the moral of 'a pet is for life, not just for Christmas' and the teaching that pets are not good Christmas presents is not really reinforced by this book. These are somewhat minor points at his age though and do not affect his or my enjoyment of the book. Overall, a lovely festive read for young children.
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