On Christmas Eve, a boy wishes that Santa could help trim his family+s tree, eat dinner with them, read to him at bedtime, deliver his gifts by helicopter, and more. There+s nothing especially fresh about the familiar give-and-take between mother and child, but the watercolor and line drawings add some zip and gentle humor. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

PreS-As Maxie eats dinner and gets ready for bed on Christmas Eve, he keeps making wishes (that Santa would come by helicopter, that Santa could help trim the family tree) and his mother has a ready response each time ("Then, Maxie, who would drive his sled?" "Who would trim Santa's tree?"). Although the illustrations are cheerful and childlike, the boy's wishes and his mother's replies are uninteresting, and the sight of Santa flying by in a helicopter on Christmas morning does nothing to liven things up. An uninspired offering.-E. M. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.