I'm Not Santa! (I'm Not! Picture Book, An)

Baby Owl is just out in the snowy woods, playing with his sled… so why does Baby Hare insist on mistaking him for Santa? Is Santa the only one allowed to wear a red hat? And doesn’t Baby Hare know the difference between a sled and a sleigh?

It’ll take no less than a surprise visit from the jolly old man himself to settle this case of mistaken identity!

PreSchool-K–On Christmas Eve, Baby Hare sees Baby Owl on his way home from sledding and becomes absolutely sure that he is Santa. Nothing Baby Owl says (And I am not big and fat like Santa! I'm very fluffy like a Baby Owl!) convinces the young hare. Frustrated, he begins to cry. Willing to try anything to get him to stop, Baby Owl admits that he is, in fact, Santa. Then Baby Hare begins to notice all the ways the owl is different from Santa, and starts crying because he's NOT Santa, which causes Baby Owl, who's been pretty patient, all things considered, to start crying, too. Never fear–all is smoothed over by the appearance of the man himself, and Baby Owl hurries home to tell his mama all about his experience. Large cartoon illustrations that will carry to the back of the room, and the opportunity for readers to express their inner toddler dramatically, will make this a holiday favorite.–Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library
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It’s Christmas Eve and Baby Owl, the winsome owlet featured in I’m Not Cute(2005) and I’m Not Scared (2007) is trudging home wearing a Santas hat, so Baby Hare mistakes him for Santa. A dialogue ensues with Baby Owl insisting that he isn’t Santa and Baby Hare giving evidence he is. Then the real Santa resolves the conflict. With almost no background illustration, the two cartoon-style characters face off from opposite pages, their growing frustration evident in their body language. Not quite as satisfying as the previous titles, this will still have appeal for children at the stage where Christmas is all about Santa sightings. Preschool. --Randall Enos