How to Catch Santa

by Jean Reagan

From the creators of the New York Times bestsellers How to Babysit a Grandpa and How to Babysit a Grandma comes an equally charming and hilarious holiday offering! After waiting for days and days and days, it’s finally Christmas Eve. And that’s when you can try to catch Santa. . . . From Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish comes a delightful new offering, written again in a hilarious instructional style. Two sibling narrators give clever tips for “catching” Santa (be crafty! be clever! be gentle!) on Christmas Eve. Filled with humor and holiday warmth, this is a jolly read-aloud for the whole family to enjoy.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Holiday, Childrens, Fiction, How To, Humor

32 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Jean Reagan lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, Peter, and daughter, Jane. Their beloved son and brother, John, died in 2005. Born in Alabama, Jean spent most of her childhood in Japan. Since graduating from Earlham College, she has worked as a community organizer, a union activist, and a writer. She cherishes her years as a full-time mother when she also worked at her children's public school, The Open Classroom. In the summers, her family lives in a tiny, remote cabin in Grand Teton National Park where she and Peter serve as volunteer backcountry rangers. Bears visit them frequently.

Reviews

[Mischenko]

The story was cute, but in a way kind of boring. It basically talked about ways you might catch santa and what to do, or not do. Just 3 stars as it just didn't keep our interest and isn't one of favorites.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer)]

How to Catch Santa by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish is such a fun read and perfect for children who believe. Filled with colorful images it explores how to catch Santa on Christmas Eve. What will you do if you catch him? Do you have questions? It shares how to listen for Santa and how to hunt for clues that he has been there For example, add glitter to a letter you leave for Santa, or place carrots outside for the reindeer. The book is for readers ages 4 to 8 but is perfect for reading to the little ones this holiday season. The colorfully illustrated images will hold their attention and giggles are sure to ensue. Geared to spark the imagination it is sure to lead to questions and a fun family discussion. I would not be surprised if this became a family favorite. If you are looking for a fun holiday gift, this beautiful hardcover edition is sure to make them smile.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Kyle]

A cute Christmas book that inspires kids to be clever and crafty by providing some, but not all, answers to the titular question. Listing off ways to recognize Saint Nick and then eliminating alternative ways of catching the jolly ol’ man should raise some interesting questions, and hopefully unique responses each time the story is read. Some might argue that a book such as this one only sets up a childhood-long delusion of being on a snipe hunt and then gaslights them into some nonsense of what Christmas is really about. Instead, I look at it as a chance to inception my nephew with an insight that an elusive archetypal figure can be caught, only he has to be more creative than he was last year!

[Hapzydeco]

Best read when your child in old enough to have a serious inquiry regarding Santa but still young enough to believe. Lee Wildish’s colorful illustrations make this book a worthwhile addition to your seasonal collection.

[Kristina]

Книжката е забавна, писмата към Дядо Коледа в началото са причина за шумен смях от 5годишните. Историята беше сладка, но по някакъв начин малко скучна. В общи линии се разказва за начини, по които можеш да хванеш Дядо Коледа и какво да правиш или да не правиш. Книжка за деца, които хем вярват в Дядо Коледа, хем могат да четат сами.

[Viktoria Vognyk Aurelia]

Я дуже швидко читаю дитячі книги))
Один вечір-одна історія, та це кмедно...я марила цією книгою і придбала її зі знижкою за смішною ціною, а малюнки які....так, мені однозначно бракувало таких книжок у моєму дитинстві...а так хотілося

[Vityska]

Ця книжка дає відповідь на питання, що цікавить багатьох дітлахів: як упіймати найневловимішого гостя – самого Санта-Клауса? У ній знайдете цілий план. Насамперед – перелік запитань, якими Саниу можна забалакати, та речей, про які можна розповісти. А ще кілька ідей подарунків для Санти (повірте, він буде у захваті!). Навіть якщо не упіймаєте його самого, втішають автори, можете зробити так, щоб він залишив сліди, які промовлятимуть «Тут був Санта».


А що робити, поки чекаєш на прихід Санти? І на це у книжці знайдеться кілька чудових ідей, якими можна прикрасити Святвечір.


Добра, класна і дотепна книжка, яка захопить маленьких читачів крутими ідеями й допоможе провести час в очікуванні Різдва насичено й цікаво.

[Kathryn (Dragon Bite Books)]

First published on my blog, Nine Pages .

I didn’t realize that this was of the same series as How to Babysit a Grandpa, Grandma, and Surprise a Dad. As well as those first two especially have been selling, I have not read any of them, and I was not particularly thrilled by this one. There’s not a lot of story, but a lot of text. “Don’t you have a zillion questions?” A list of questions follows. “Maybe you have things you want to tell him?” A list of things that you might want to tell Santa follows. “And maybe you have things you want to give him?” A list of things to give him follows. “Okay, now you know what you want to do once you catch Santa. Now it’s time to figure out how to do it.” A list of some tips and suggestions follows. While there are some creative and sweet ideas here, I just don’t like the format—and it seems like it’s becoming more prevalent within picture books.

[Dena McMurdie]

If you want to catch Santa this Christmas, this is the book for you. It walks you through the process, from setting the trap to what questions to ask once you've got him. It also tells you what not to do, like setting up nets between palm trees. It's funny, cute, and already has my kids planning out their Santa traps.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with kids that want to see the big guy himself on Christmas Eve. It goes best with a wild imagination. Just sayin'.

Find more Christmas books here: Batch of Books blog

[Jenn Swanson]

My daughter has made me read this to her twice today. She, apparently enjoys this book. Myself on the other hand.....

[Cosette]

Lots of chatter.

[Kim]

youtube

[Emily Stephenson]

Summary
How to Catch Santa puts a fun twist on the many thoughts of the young around the holiday season. It is what seems like the popular yet impossible task for every young child today, catch the real life Santa Claus! After waiting a whole year there are so many things to think about before catching Santa. What will you ask him? What will you tell him? HOW are you going to catch him? How To Catch Santa by Jean Reagan shows the endless possibilities for a child and it completely opens up their imagination and spirit of the season.

Activity
Before Christmas break each student needs to write a letter asking what they would like for Christmas to be then mailed to Santa. Then, the students will create their plan of action for their catch on Christmas Eve. How will they Catch Santa? What will they do with him after they have him? Let the students be open ended and creative. After the holiday break, each student will come back and write a thank you note for Santa. Thanking him for all he does and the nice gifts him or her received that Christmas, these are also to be mailed to Santa.

Citation
Reagan, J., & Wildish, L. (2015). How to catch Santa. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

[Ben Truong]

How to Catch Santa is a children's picture book written by Jean Reagan and illustrated by Lee Wildish. It is a story about how to catch Santa Claus and what to do with him if you are successful. Today is Saint Nicholas Day so I thought it would apropos to read this book today.

Reagan's text is simplistic, straightforward, and rather hilarious. It is a story about adventurous children trying to catch Santa Claus. It is an instructional guide to how to do such a thing and what to do with Santa Claus once he is caught. Wildish's illustrations are wonderfully depicted, a tad too cartoonish for my taste, but it was appropriate for this narrative.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It is a group of children trying to catch Santa Claus as he descends to their house on Christmas Eve. It is all in the preparation and if one is lucky one could catch him, but more often than not – only traces of his appearance could be found the next day.

All in all, How to Catch Santa is a wonderfully written children's instructional book on how to catch Santa Claus as he visits you on Christmas Eve.

[Tania]

Reading "How To Catch A Santa" as part of our Christmas Book advent was a delightful experience for my family. The book is filled with humor, charm, and festive spirit, making it a perfect addition to our holiday traditions.

The imaginative storyline and playful illustrations captured my 6-year-old's attention from the very first page. We enjoyed following the protagonist's creative and hilarious attempts to catch Santa Claus, each one more inventive than the last. The book sparked laughter and excitement as we eagerly turned the pages to see what would happen next.

However, while "How To Catch A Santa" was thoroughly enjoyable, our favorite in this series remains "How To Babysit a Grandad." There's just something special about the bond between a grandparent and grandchild depicted in that book that resonated deeply with us.

Overall, "How To Catch A Santa" is a delightful read for the holiday season, perfect for families looking for a fun and festive story to enjoy together. Although it may not have surpassed our favorite in the series, it still brought plenty of joy and laughter into our home.

[Книжни Криле]

Искало ли ви се е някога да спипате добрия старец с големия чувал и да му зададете няколко въпроса? Като например, „Как успяваш да се провираш през комина?“ и „Как изобщо оставаш чист след това?“… Или пък „А как се справяш, когато къщата НЯМА комин?!?“. Да, мистериите около Дядо Коледа са многобройни, още по-многобройни са опитите да бъдат разгадани, но за сега май никое дете не е успяло да сгащи вълшебния гостенин докато се прокрадва край елхата. Дали един наръчник по темата няма да ни бъде от полза? Не пречи да опитаме тази година! „Как да заловим Дядо Коледа“ от Джийн Рейгън и Лий Уайлдиш е най-новото предложение за деца от изд. „Хермес“. Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[Samantha]

Summary: This book is an entertaining read when to siblings come up with a plan to try to catch Santa. The book talks about everything they are doing when trying to catch Santa. The illustrations make the text come to live and are funny.

Review: I think this would be a great book to read to children, especially around the holiday time. Children can usually relate to his book because they have tried to catch Santa before. This is a nicely written story of two children trying to catch Santa.

I book that would pair well with this would be "Is It Hanukkah Yet?" by Chris Barash to introduce diversity and compare what the characters do in each book.

I really enjoyed this quote “Set out your Santa riddles with a note that says “For help with the answers, wake me up.” Santa won’t be able to resist!” because it shows the playfulness of the text.

[Asho]

This book is in our Christmas collection this year and, to be honest, I have no idea how it got there. It must have been a gift from one of the kids' teachers last year or something. At any rate, F (4) and I read it together for the first time tonight. I thought it was cute. I like the colorful, cheerful illustrations and enjoy all the suggestions for catching Santa. I like that it hints the entire time that you won't *really* catch Santa, but that if you're lucky you can spot some clues that he has visited. F was having a total meltdown when we started reading this (for reasons unrelated to the book) but she mellowed out about halfway through and became very interested in the story. A nice addition to the collection!

[Andrea]

This wasn’t anywhere near as cute as the how to scare a ghost. It didn’t rhyme or have anything cute in it. It seemed really stretched thin and reaching for things on how to catch Santa like the idea was rushed and not fully fleshed out.

At one point readers were advised to say shhh as many times as needed if their family was talking and they couldn’t listen for the sounds of Santa. I was like really? That was important enough to be mentioned?
Also, to see if reindeer had come by, kids are supposed to put a pile of carrots on the windowsill and if they’ve been eaten then you know reindeer came. They’re supposed to leave a window open in the winter??

It was all over the place and I was disappointed with this.

[Camie]

From the same author who gave us How To Babysit a Grandma, and How to Babysit A Grandpa, both pretty humorous books, we now have How To Catch Santa. This is the book I sent to my oldest Grandkids, both of whom (as we are to be so lucky) will be "snuggled down" right here at our house this Christmas Eve. Here's hoping Santa manages another annual visit without incident !!

[Jana]

Most kids will be able to remember different ways that they, too, have tried to catch Santa. This fun picture book gives young readers advice on different ways to get ahold of Santa or at least catch a glimpse of him. This could be a great mentor text for other “how to” stories related to the holidays.

[Rachel]

This was such a cute read! And creative! I loved the tricks the kids came up with to catch Santa. Also, it’s so cute to see what some kids might be thinking, their questions/concerns (you know past the usual “but how” ones). I particularly liked that they wanted to leave him a head light to get down the chimney easier😂

[Sahuna Imran]

I watched the read aloud video of this book on YouTube by Little cub Literacy.
Sam reads the book and i love the way she reads. The illustrations were awesome.
How to catch Santa by Jean Reagan is an excellent Christmas book for children giving good and bad ideas how not to and how to catch Santa. The book also focuses on how to thank him what would you say when you see him. Recommended to all...

[Emily White]

I like how this book really brings a classic holiday some excitement. This can be read to a young classroom, grandchildren, children, etc. on Christmas Eve or anytime around the holiday. It makes children excited for the holiday and entertains them as well .his also may give them something to do to keep them occupied while their family gets ready for the morning everyone is anticipating.

[Maggie Wilson]

This book is written from a child's perspective which kids could relate to more, it gives tips on how to catch Santa. There is a lot of imagery in the book with a lot of details. It tells kids to make sure they leave the lights on their Christmas tree for Santa, it ends with a nice note that if you can not find Santa then there is always next year.

[Alex]

My students loved reading this book before the holidays. It helped spark some ideas on how we could catch Santa on Christmas. My students were giggling throughout the entire book. We used this book to help us brainstorm, create, and explain STEM activities that we could make for Christmas Eve. My students also liked the predictability of the How to Catch series that we use throughout the year.

[Cristina]

I have read the romanian edition of the book.

It is a cute Book, with lots of fun activities/ advices on how to catch Santa. Most of which, if we're being honest, we might have tried out when we were kids.

It also has amazing illustrations, which captivate the child.

I can't quite call it a favorite Christmas read, but for children
ages 3-5 years old, it is perfect.

[Heather]

This wasn’t as cute as I thought it would be.
I thought it would end with them catching Santa! The ending was underwhelming and anticlimactic. It had the wishing everyone a merry Christmas ending that’s typical of Christmas books.
This book could have gone much differently and it would have been a lot more fun and different.

[Andrés]

This just seems like an exhausting thing to add to the chaos of the holiday season. It might prompt projects or glitter traps or unwanted questions when everyone could, instead, just...have a nice time. There was a ton of text and some very advanced concepts in here, so I don't think it's a boardbook for preschoolers, despite the fact it came as a board book.

[Kalynda]

Have you ever tried to catch Santa? What have you tried? Have you come close? How do you know? What is the evidence? These, among so many other questions, and efforts, are delivered in a fun and colorful story as two siblings prepare for the big day.