I just love Richard Scarry. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing. The illustrations are decidedly static; characters look like they're laughing when they're supposed to be crying; Santa is kind of a jerk who yells at Mr. Fixit. And despite all that it's a good Christmas book! Lots of individual tales that would tax patience at storytime. It's more of a book to be read aloud to a child whose sitting with you and can look at all the details in the pictures. ( )