Young Claus - by James Magnuson (Paperback)

About the Book

"Before Santa Claus was Santa Claus, he was a boy, and this is his story. Young Claus is both an origin story and a children's fable for adults, in the tradition of The Little Prince and The Last Unicorn. Young Lars Claus loses his father in a logging accident and, with his mother and grandmother, has to move to a strange land in the Far North, a land of exiles, outcasts, and survivors. Here he encounters a school where the children only laugh at the misfortunes of others, where small, bizarre creatures are imprisoned beneath a fish liver oil factory, and where his widowed mother is wooed by the malevolent Mayor Wolfpaw. This is a wild romp of a book that soars into the skies and plunges deep beneath the permafrost. It is a book filled with the marvels and ghosts, a book where Lars, with the help of invisible helpers, will learn to carve, where he will discover sorrows as deep as his own and eventually the healing powers of gifts. Certainly no one has been the subject of more lies by parents than Santa Claus. This book attempts to find the simple human truths buried beneath those awkward lies. It charts the journey of a boy beset by grief who will, after many trials, fashion a vision of generosity that will encompass the entire world"--

Book Synopsis

Before Santa Claus was Santa Claus, he was a boy, and this is his story. Young Claus is an origin story and a fable for both adults and children, in the tradition of The Little Prince and The Last Unicorn. Young Lars Claus loses his father in a logging accident and, with his mother and grandmother, has to move to a strange land in the Far North, a land of exiles, outcasts, and survivors. Here he encounters a school where the children only laugh at the misfortunes of others; where no one has ever seen a tree; where small, bizarre tomten are imprisoned beneath a fish-liver-oil factory; and where his widowed mother is courted by the malevolent Mayor Wolfpaw. This is a wild romp of a book that soars into the skies and plunges deep beneath the permafrost. It is a book filled with marvels and ghosts, a book where Lars, with the aid of invisible helpers, will learn to carve; where he will discover sorrows as deep as his own, and eventually, the healing powers of gifts. It charts the journey of a boy beset by grief who will, after many trials, fashion a vision of generosity that will encompass the entire world.

Review Quotes

"The Germans called their fairy tales Wundermärchen, and this is one amazing, big-hearted, gloriously imagined, dark, deeply moving, astonishing, utterly splendid wonder tale. A book about joy, and the human imagination, and how life can be lifted by the smallest piece of generosity. What a page-turning marvel this book is. I completely adored it."

-- Edward Carey

Author of Little and The Iremonger Trilogy

"Only Coleridge's phrase will do--Jim Magnuson's Young Claus is a miracle of rare device. This tale of how a boy became the legend has it all. It blends the power of myth with the pleasure of mirth, combines high adventure with delightful invention. This anthem of hopefulness is somehow charming and thrilling at the same time. I could go on and on about this book--a beautiful, beautiful act of imagination."

--Hugh O'Neill, author of Daddy Cool