Fabulously illustrated by H. B. Lewis, Elizabeth Cody Kimmel's hilarious romp through the land of be-careful-what-you-wish-for offers a whole year's worth of holiday fun magic.

This year, I was very specific in my letter to Santa Claus.

Each year at Christmas, Joe writes a letter to Santa. But they've had a few misunderstandings in the past. Last year, for example, Joe wanted a fire-engine-red racecar with retracting headlights, and he did get one — but it was only three inches long. So this year Joe is really, really careful. He describes exactly what he wants — and on Christmas morning, guess what's waiting for him under the tree! Santa has brought him a living, breathing, black-and-white penguin named Osbert. Will anything in Joe's life ever be the same?

Review

“PreSchool-Grade 2–After several years in which his Christmas wishes have gone awry, Joe gets smart and writes Santa a detailed and exact description of the present he wants–a real live penguin. He gets what he asked for, but providing his new friend with meals of creamed herring and taking cold baths with him turn out to be more than he bargained for. Written with lots of tongue-in-cheek humor, this quietly quirky tale is accompanied by expressive watercolor-and-pastel illustrations depicting the determined-to-make-this-work Joe and his irrepressible pet. This holiday story will make kids laugh all year long.” School Library Journal