Merry Moosey Christmas

The search for a sleigh-leading substitute is on after Rudolph begs for Christmas Eve off to “listen for jingling sleigh bells on the roof and a whooooooosh down the chimney with presents just for me!” But it turns out that Rudolph’s hooves are big ones to fill, and few creatures are up to the task. After ruling out a slew of candidates, Santa agrees to give a moose a try. Though he needs a bit of gadgetry—namely a headlamp, jet pack, and GPS—to get things into gear, the moose eventually finds a way to pull off this all-important mission. Readers will enjoy being in on the silly problem-solving, and Cox’s art, often focused on Rudolph and the Moose’s big expressive eyes, gleefully plays into the story’s comical premise. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: Joelle Sadler, Sadler Children’s Literary. (Oct.)