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The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus Audiobook
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(3.03) - 912 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
An imaginative work first published in 1902, L. Frank Baum’s “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” tells the story of Claus, an orphaned boy raised by various immortal creatures in an enchanted forest. When he reaches adulthood, Claus is told to live among mortals; he is disheartened initially by poverty, war, and other negative aspects of humanity. He becomes well-known for his kindness to children, and this enthusiasm leads to the invention of the first toys. Claus eventually makes it his life’s mission to bring joy to children, and this unfolds into an entertaining explanation of many Christmas traditions, including the hanging of stockings, Christmas trees, and gift-giving. After a lifetime of generosity the immortal creatures who raised him must consider whether Claus is worthy of immortality so that he may continue to bring joy into the lives of children. “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” illustrates the depth of Baum’s skill as an author of children’s literature.
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"Cute twist on the stories of how Santa Clause came to be complete with explainations of why he delivers toys to children only at when it's dark, on Christmas eve, how he is able to get into houses that do not have a chimney, and how he has lived so long! For those that didn't notice, this book was written by the author who wrote "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"."
— Lisa (4 out of 5 stars)
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus Listener Reviews
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" Published in 1902, this secular novella by the author of the Oz books creates a mythology behind Santa Claus through a society of fairies and nymphs. It tells of Claus' birth, how he came to invent toys, how he got his ten (yes, ten) reindeer, and various other Christmas traditions. The author even reluctantly shares an epic battle between the forces of good and evil--okay, maybe not epic, but.... It's a sweet story, with good characterization, and Baum does well at creating a world, though toward the end it starts to feel like he is trying to predict every question. Considering he was known to tell stories to groups of children orally and answer their questions as he did, I wouldn't be surprised if that factored in to his writing in this book. "
— Christina, 2/16/2014 -
" Fun, quick read. Filled with folklore and mythical creatures, I love how this book tells the story of how Santa Claus came to be. "
— Jenna, 2/7/2014 -
" Write a review... have never read this, you have missed one of the best fantasy mythological adventure books of all-time. Although, Mr. Baum's Oz series gets more attention, this tale is fantastic. Santa Claus' life is told as a myth. "
— Jaime, 1/28/2014 -
" I love this version of how Santa came to be. Beautiful story for all ages. "
— Kimberly, 1/16/2014 -
" Delightful Santa Claus myth from the author of The Wizard of OZ. The original text was published in 1902! This edition is accompanied by the illustrations of Michael Hague. Enjoy the fantasy. "
— LGayle, 1/15/2014 -
" When I saw this was by L. Frank Baum, I had to read it since I loved the Oz series when I was younger. It's another version/history of how Santa Claus came to be. It's very creative and a fun spin on some of the traditions. "
— Amy, 1/13/2014 -
" I didn't realize this was a book, but I was familiar with two animated versions I loved. The book is a very interesting take on the (fictitious) origins of Santa Claus. "
— Bridgett, 1/12/2014 -
" I took exception to this fantasy about Santa Claus because it flew in the face of the conventional history of Santa Claus. How's that for irony? The illustrations by Michael Hague in the edition I read were beautiful. "
— Roberta, 1/4/2014 -
" I like this Rankin-Bass special, and enjoyed these illustrations. "
— Barbara, 11/6/2013 -
" Best Christmas story ever "
— Jessica, 10/2/2013 -
" I read this as a kid and found it delightful then, and it's still a lovely little story now. I would love to make this a part of my future children's youthful Christmases. "
— Tara, 8/31/2013 -
" So magical! I wish I had discovered this book when I was a child, but it is now a holiday favorite. "
— Shelly, 4/20/2013 -
" This is a wonderfully cute read that puts you in the Christmas spirit. I story that tells all about Santa Claus before the popular song and all the christmas movies. This is a great story and a story you haven't heard. If you like any of L. Frank Baum's work, you will completely like this one. "
— Shawn, 9/11/2012 -
" Very original book. "
— Regina, 9/5/2012 -
" I loved this book. When the kids are out of school next week we will read it together as a family. I think they will love all the great 'answers' for their Santa questions. It tells why and how everything got started in a great folk story background. Fantastic. "
— Sarah, 4/30/2012 -
" Excellent story and telling of an otherwise very familiar tale. It's a shame you don't hear more about it. "
— Nemo, 3/18/2012 -
" We read this in December as a family. Charming story of Claus from birth through old age, and how our Christmas traditions and the jolly servant of children came to be. My kids all loved it, and so did I. "
— Tiffany, 1/6/2011 -
" Highly recommend this book by L. Frank Baum, author of the The Wonderful World of Oz, for the holidays - young and old. It's a great fantasy interpretation of how Santa Claus came to be - from his childhood, early years, to what he is today. "
— Kevin, 12/23/2010 -
" Very interesting take on the origins of Santa Claus - by the author of the Wizard of Oz, no less. "
— Nicole, 12/22/2010 -
" I read this book aloud to my kids in December and although the writing prose is an older, more formal style, they enjoyed hearing how different fairies raised and assisted Claus. "
— Anna, 12/19/2010 -
" There are a lot of "origin stories" about Santa Claus out there. This is not one of the better ones. I think I will stick to the Oz books. "
— Adam, 12/19/2010 -
" what a cute and imaginative tome on Santa's life! A whole new world sprung to life through lively description and amazing creativity. "
— Melanie, 12/6/2010 -
" I just love L. Frank Baum. He has such a wonderful imagination! "
— Rachel, 11/28/2010 -
" Delightful Santa Claus myth from the author of The Wizard of OZ. The original text was published in 1902! This edition is accompanied by the illustrations of Michael Hague. Enjoy the fantasy. "
— LGayle, 3/31/2010 -
" The man who created Oz writes this brilliant and fantastical biography of Santa Claus, mixing fairy tale elements with bits from various Santa legends. <br/>Amazing book. <br/>Was the first non-Oz book of Baum's I ever read. Great, imaginative stuff. "
— Travis, 2/9/2010 -
" I liked this fun tale of how Santa Claus came to be--very creative and makes it easier now for me to answer my children's questions about the jolly man. (-: "
— Jenny, 12/31/2009 -
" I wasn't going to read this book next, but found it looking for something else. I started reading and couldn't stop. Read it in 2 days. It is a GREAT read aloud book. "
— Denni, 12/30/2009 -
" Weird but kind of awesome. Baum's historical tone is oddly out of place in whole sections of the book. <br/> <br/>I'd recommend this book, but I think I'd recommend the Rankin and Bass clay-mation TV special from 1985. "
— Spencer, 12/20/2009 -
" I didn't realize this was a book, but I was familiar with two animated versions I loved. The book is a very interesting take on the (fictitious) origins of Santa Claus. "
— Bridgett, 12/14/2009 -
" Needed something light to read for Christmas. "
— Libbydale, 12/11/2009
About L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum (1856–1919), born in Chittenango, New York, was a journalist, dramatist, and writer best known for his fantasies about the land of Oz, the first being The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The success of this book led to his writing thirteen sequels. He wrote about sixty books in all, mostly for children.