How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?

August 28, 2023
The frequent collaborators take the simple question of the title and dive right in: “How does he do it? How does it work?” Klassen imagines a pale-skinned Santa on a rooftop making adjustments: he cinches his belt at the waist while a reindeer holds his jacket. More fantastic ideas bubble forth. Perhaps Santa has to “stretch out like taffy and step in one leg at a time”? Maybe the chimney renders Santa’s suit so dirty that he has to do laundry before going to the next house? And how is it that Santa charms all the dogs that would usually bark at strangers? Barnett sustains a wide-eyed, innocent tone throughout, and Klassen’s Santa appears amiable in this smart Yuletide comedy that visualizes everything from Santa sitting in his skivvies in front of a clothes washer to Saint Nick arriving by post. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from July 1, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* The question of how roly-poly Santa can squeeze himself down any chimney, and even insinuate himself into spaces that have no chimney, is quite a stumper. But this mystery is tackled head-on (and hilariously) by the multi-award-winning team of Barnett and Klassen (The Three Billy Goats Gruff, 2022). Starting with a wordless spread, the book shows Santa in profile against a black background, sizing up a brick chimney. He hands his red jacket to a Boynton-like vertical reindeer and then uses his thick black belt to cinch in his waist. This scene is followed by the big question, "How does he do it?" Then comes a cascade of possible solutions that include shrinking himself down to the size of a mouse or stretching himself out like taffy. More and more tricky situations are laid out, like how he gets into a home without a chimney (cue the image of Santa plopping out like an elongated drop through a kitchen faucet). Klassen's illustrations, done in graphite pencil and ink and finished digitally, fit the absurdist humor wonderfully. The conclusion--that the narrator has no idea how Santa does it but is glad he can--is a great kicker.

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Starred review from September 1, 2023

PreS-Gr 2-Barnett and Klassen confront one of the many mysteries of Christmas Eve. Beginning with an earnest "How does he do it? How does it work?" an anonymous narrator proceeds to pose a series of questions and hypotheses about the possibilities of Santa's descent into people's houses. Does Santa shrink or stretch, pour himself through the faucet, or find a key if there is no chimney? When inside, does he have to wash his sooty suit or use night vision goggles if the lights are off? One thing seems to be certain: "Santa goes up the chimney the same way he comes down." Barnett's tone perfectly captures a child's endless stream of imaginative conjectures, while Klassen's droll idiosyncratic graphite and ink illustrations bring out the humor full force. VERDICT Another hilarious hit that will be a welcome addition to the lighter side of Christmas collections.-Yelena Voysey

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2023
A dynamic picture-book duo turn their attention to one of the great mysteries of our time. For those literal-minded children out there, this book serves to answer some essential questions about basic Santa-related logistics. We all know that Santa is supposed to go down the chimney to deliver gifts, but how? "Does he cinch up his belt? Or shrink himself down to the size of a mouse?" That particular speculation is accompanied by an image of a small Santa standing on the edge of a chimney looking down into the abyss. Synched perfectly with Barnett's gentle yet hilarious questions and often silly propositions ("Or does he slip through the pipes and come out of your faucet?"), Klassen's tan-skinned Santa is as funny and expressionless as a bearded Buster Keaton. Curiosity runs wild as Barnett ponders everything from Santa doing the laundry in children's basements to his ability to get along with every household dog he meets, while Klassen's there to bring each possibility to life. Don't look for any definitive answers in this story, though. As the last line states, "Santa goes up the chimney the same way he comes down. And I have no idea how Santa does that. But I'm so glad he can." For all that it leans heavily on absurdity, this book exhibits some serious heart. (This book was reviewed digitally.) In the market for an understated Christmas classic? Behold! A Christmas miracle! (Picture book. 4-7)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2023
Barnett and Klassen (The Three Billy Goats Gruff, rev. 1/23, and others) reunite to address the title's age-old Christmas question. Barnett's text expertly speculates as a child might, with ideas ranging from the logical ("Maybe Santa knows about the key under the flowerpot") to the playful ("Or [does he] stretch out like taffy and step in one leg at a time?"). Klassen's graphite, ink, and digital illustrations add his ever-pleasing straight-faced brand of humor (e.g., Santa doing laundry in his heart-patterned underwear to clean the soot off his suit). Theorizing is more entertaining than discovering an answer would be -- the magic is in the mystery, after all, including the mystery of how Santa gets back up the chimney. Cynthia K. Ritter

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)