The Wild Christmas Reindeer the Wild Christmas Reindeer

Little Teeka's attempts to train Santa's reindeer for their Christmas ride meet with disaster until she realizes that she needs to work with the animals in a new way. ``Tomorrow,'' she says, ``no yelling, no screaming, and no bossing, I promise,'' and with her patient teaching, on Christmas Eve the ``wild reindeer rise up together and carry the sleigh off into the night.'' Brett's characteristic, richly detailed borders depict the activity at Santa's workshop as each day brings Teeka closer to Christmas. As with The Mitten , Brett makes use of Ukranian motifs--colorful embroidered costumes, festive garlands, carvings and cunning toys decorate every page. The reindeer themselves--sporting names like Lichen, Tundra and Bramble--provide most of the comic action in this sweet Christmas fantasy that shows Brett at her best. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)