Excellent Christmas/Halloween crossover. I love Gris Grimley's illustrations. ( )

Totally buying this to add to my permanent collection. It is a bit like Nightmare before christmas as it’s dark and creepy but in a good way. And it’s Claws not Claus. The story has great rhymes and perfect cadence and the Gris Grimly illustrations are a perfect match.
#Wintergames #teamreadnosereindeer +26 ( )

This is a wickedly fun Christmas book. It is a twisted take on a classic. The illustrations are perfect. Reminded me of the Nightmare before Christmas. Who doesn't love some blister toe hung for the holidays?! ( )

Santa Claws offers weary holiday readers a gruesome Nightmare Before Christmas like alternative to the standard holiday fare. In this little tale we meet Mack & Zack two eager monster children preparing for Christmas and Santa (in his blood red suite and snake in his boot) will be along shortly. These boys are prepared, they've hung their smelly socks by the fire with care, the oozing blistertoe is hung, and the dead pine trees decorated and ready to go! Young readers will love this morbid little tale fully of macabre Christmas cheer...the only drawback is that it's extremely brief...there is minimal text and while the art is lovingly drawn and detail rich, the nearly monochromatic watercolor illustrations may not be well received by younger readers...but I think older kids (4-8) will get a kick out of this and it's something that beginner readers should have no trouble with at all. An added bonus are the "ads" on the endpapers...for gruesome things like Ear Wax Furniture Polish, Sludge Hair Dressing for Men, and Dog Breath Mouth Wash...it's a cute touch that I think kids will really enjoy! I give it four stars...I simply wish there was more of this gruesome little holiday story! ( )