Fartsy Claus    by Mitch Chivus & Mike Reed Order:  USA  Can HarperCollins, 2007 (2007) Hardcover     Reviewed by Hilary Daninhirsch When Santa Claus eats a bowl of beans instead of the usual milk and cookies, things can get rather ... smelly. Sentimental? No. A bold new take on Christmas? Absolutely. Santa offends all the reindeer, who can't bear to lead the way through the night skies. When he arrives at the home of Mike and Ariana, they try to help him by giving him antacids and chamomile tea but to no avail. Will Christmas be ruined because of Santa's problem? This rhyming book has the right concept and is funny in parts, but the rhythm is slightly off kilter as a read aloud. Kids may not notice this, however, as the thought and image of a gassy Santa is quite riotous. A sampling: 'Santa farted with all the power he could muster. He made a huge one, then another, a real ear-buster. The rockets rattled…but the sleigh didn’t budge. Santa shook his head and sat, sober as a judge. A neighbor opened his door and turned on the light, Looked up and gave them all a terrible fright. "Oh no," Santa said. "I've broken the Christmas laws, and I'll forever be known as Fartsy Claus."' The illustrations are fantastic - I love the soft shading and the boldness of the colors. Santa is very expressive, especially when he is in, shall we say, distress. Fartsy Claus is definitely for those with a sense of humor. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews