Santa's Gotta Go!

Derrick Barnes (DerrickDBarnes.com) is the author of I Got You; Like Lava in My Veins; the New York Times bestsellers The Queen of Kindergarten, The King of Kindergarten, and I Am Every Good Thing, which won the NCTE Charlotte Huck Award and the Kirkus Prize; and Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, which received a Newbery Honor, a Coretta Scott King Honor, the Kirkus Prize, and the Ezra Jack Keats Award. He also wrote the bestselling chapter book series Ruby and the Booker Boys. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and their four sons.Courtney Lovett (CourtneyLovett.com) was born and raised in Maryland. Since she could pick up a pencil, not a day has passed where Courtney did not draw, with a sketchbook on her person wherever she went. She has since pursued an education in illustration and animation. Today, she still lives in her hometown, where she has illustrated books including Join the Club, Maggie Diaz by Nina Moreno and Basketball Dreams by NBA All-Star Chris Paul. When she is not making books, she teaches at a local art studio.

* “This contemporary, creative story portrays a Black Santa Claus who works out, sports tattoos, and only has a slight belly. Children will delight in many modern elements of the story, such as Santa ordering a part for his sleigh online using a laptop. Crisp illustrations transport readers into the comfortable and loving home of a young Black family and clearly convey the family’s emotions on their faces: exhaustion, annoyance, anger, surprise, and more. Children will love seeing an easily relatable Santa Claus and family.” —School Library Journal, starred review“The Mack family wants to host Santa Claus, but they don’t realize what they’re in for when their wish comes true. . . . Lovett’s bright, wonderfully expressive cartoon illustrations feature a relatable Black family and a very modern Black Santa: tall and muscular with jeans, tattoos, and a red flannel shirt. Santa’s outlandish shenanigans will have readers giggling and turning pages to see how the Macks will survive his stay. A fun reminder about the holiday spirit of giving.” —Kirkus Reviews“In this lively holiday read, a Black family hoping to welcome Santa to their home get more than they bargained for after his sleigh breaks down. . . . Via blow-by-blow text and expressive thin-lined art, Barnes and Lovett bring comedic havoc to this vision of a Santa who’s more chaotic than nice.” —Publishers Weekly“In this silly Santa story, siblings Monte and Mabel Mack invite Santa Claus to stay with their family after his sleigh breaks down on Christmas. . . . Order is restored, and kindness and patience recognized. Lovett’s humorous digital illustrations will make readers believe in a Santa who wears skinny jeans and has several tattoos and an earring.” —The Horn Book