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Summary
Summary
Every year Juma's mysterious Aunt Aida asks the same question: "What is your number one Christmas wish?" Juma always wishes for the same thing: to see Father Christmas. It's hard to imagine what he looks like when you live in a hot African town with no snow, no sleigh, and certainly no reindeer. But Aunt Aida is full of magic, and she promises to do what she can to make Juma's greatest wish come true.
Author Notes
Tony Johnston was born in Los Angeles, California on January 30, 1942. She received a B.A. in history and an M.A in education from Stanford University. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a fourth-grade teacher.
She has written over 70 books for children. Her titles include Amber on the Mountain, the Cowboy and the Black-Eyed Pea, Day of the Dead, the Ghost of Nicholas Greebe, the Sparky and Eddie series, and the Adventures of Mole and Troll. Her first adult novel was Any Small Goodness.
Her works have earned her several awards including a Children's Choice Award for Four Scary Stories and the Beatty Award in 2002 for Any Small Goodness.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-An old man tells his grandchildren about his 10th Christmas. Rich Aunt Aida came from Nairobi with her two pet cheetahs to visit her nephew, and the two of them planned a surprise for the rest of the village. They enlisted a man to play Father Christmas, located an elephant for him to ride, and provided snow in the form of chicken feathers. Father Christmas did indeed ride into the village and gave wonderful gifts to all the children, but not in the way Aunt Aida and the boy had planned. It was one of those magical events that seem to happen only at Christmas. The vibrant mixed-media artwork contributes enormously to that magic. The varying perspectives and suggestions of texture capture the sweeping landscapes, the majestic animals, and spirited tone of the storytelling. A glossary of Swahili words is included. The colorful prose and engaging illustrations present an inventive holiday fairy tale with a unique setting.-V. W. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The unusual locale, genial storytelling and edgy, mixed-media art differentiate this Christmas tale. As he does every year, Juma wishes to see Father Christmas, who has never come to their remote village. (And why not, those who still believe in Santa may rightly ask.) But this year, rich Aunt Aida from Nairobi arranges for a villager to arrive on an elephant, dressed like Santa, and holiday magic ensues. Johnston's (The Ancestors Are Singing) colorful details, most notably Aida's pet cheetahs Pomp and Circumstance, camouflage an otherwise foreseeable plot. And Jenkins's (Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly) art-sturdy graphics built up of delicate layers of bold colors, along with dynamic portraits of both the human and animal characters-commands attention. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Juma and his aunt Aida plan a special Christmas celebration for their Kenyan village, but their Father Christmas never makes it--so who was the red-suited man on the elephant? Exactly why this western custom (red suit, snow, presents) is important to the villagers is never explained, and the whole is betrayed by too much contrivance. The mixed-media art is sophisticated and often dramatic. Glos. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In this original tale set in Kenya, an old man named Juma recounts the story of a special Christmas when he was ten. His rich aunt Aida came to visit and promised to help her nephew fulfill his Christmas wish to see Father Christmas in person. She provides a red Father Christmas costume and Juma is to arrange for a man to wear the costume and ride through the village on an elephant. The celebration takes place as planned, but in the surprising conclusion, the man who was to wear the suit shows up to apologize for missing the event. The villagers look up, stunned, to see a huge elephant crossing the sky with Father Christmas on his back. The well-crafted story has the ring of a folktale, and the clever twist of the real Father Christmas's appearance will delight children as they discover his true identity. The stunning illustrations employ bold swatches of color against dark backgrounds with a variety of textures and underlaid patterns. Includes a glossary of terms. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
K-Gr. 2. Father Christmas riding an elephant in the African bush? The British Empire did leave behind some cultural remnants, including the magic of Santa bringing gifts.uma tells how his rich aunt from Nairobi brings presents to the village children and arranges for a local man, Ole Tunai, to dress up as Santa and arrive by elephant. The children even make snow in midsummer by shredding chicken feathers. Then the story takes an odd turn into magic realism with a decidedly confusing twist involving a mysterious Santa ( not Ole Tunai) who disappears with the elephant into the starlit sky. Unfamiliar terms are explained in a glossary, but what language are they? Are the people Maasai? Still, the dynamic, richly colored art provides a glimpse of a village community and the Western imports, and there's a strong sense of the east African rural landscape.ids in hot climates will recognize the desire for snow at Christmas, and, in Africa and the West, many will enjoy the play with popular tradition. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2003 Booklist