A Cookie for Santa

In a loose riff on Moore’s “Night Before Christmas,” a gingerbread boy with a mop of frosting hair lies on a plate for Santa, “Awaiting his fate”: “Later that evening/ When he’d be devoured/ Would he be brave?/ Or a crumbling coward?” When two rowdy puppies make a mess of the family’s holiday decorations, Cookie puts on a one-man show to distract them: “He twirled and he spun/ Until he was dizzy/ Keeping exuberant/ Puppies quite busy.” In the meantime, Santa arrives with a higher purpose in mind for Cookie—one that doesn’t involve digestion. Robert’s kooky cartooning brings this plucky hero to life in this behind-the-scenes look at Christmas Eve shenanigans. The fortuitous conclusion, which sees Cookie appointed a watchman for Santa’s toy shop (and the two dogs headed for obedience school), ought to leave readers with a smile. Ages 6–8. (Sept.)