Goodnight Santa: The Perfect Bedtime Book

A pair of pink-skinned, rosy-cheeked siblings are whisked on a Christmas Eve trip to Santa’s workshop in this addition to Robinson and East’s Goodnight series. It’s a fairly exciting premise given the book’s bedtime aims, but Robinson’s well-crafted rhymes, which include several Margaret Wise Brown–esque “goodnight” cues, help create a soothing atmosphere: “Goodnight workshop. Goodnight toys./ Where’s that list of girls and boys?/ Come on reindeer, time to go./ Here comes Santa! Ho ho ho!” East’s illustrations, mostly full-bleed scenes with a handful of panel sequences, aren’t especially distinctive, but they get the job done, establishing a solid sense of holiday magic as sledders race down hills, elves take care of finishing touches in a workshop brimming with toys, and the siblings snuggle into bed after a busy night of helping Santa. Ages 1–4. (Oct.)