Every child knows about Santa Claus, the jolly man who brings gifts to all on Christmas Eve. There are many stories that tell of his life, but the delightful version related in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is by far the most charming and original. Only L. Frank Baum, the man who created the wonderful land of Oz, could have told Santa's tale in such rich, imaginative detail.

Deep in the Forest of Burzee, a wood-nymph discovers an abandoned baby and raises him as her child. Young Claus is taught by the wise mythological creatures of the Forest, who love him as one of their own. Though he lives among magical beings, he comes to cherish his fellow humans, especially the children. When Santa Claus whittles his first toy, he knows he has found the way to bring happiness and love to children all over the world.

From the dust jacket of the Michael Hague edition

There is no more beloved figure for children and adults alike than Santa Claus. There are many variations of the Santa Claus legend, explaining who he really is, where he came from and how he became the jolly, eagerly awaited Christmas visitor who brings the gift of joy to children everywhere.

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum is the most charming and imaginative of all the tales about Saint Nicholas. Baum, best known as the creator of The Wizard of Oz, published this lovely story in 1902 and it is as fresh and readable today as when it first appeared more than eighty years ago.

We first meet Santa Claus in "Youth." Abandoned as a newborn baby in the enchanted Forest of Burzee, he is adopted by the wood nymph Necile who names him Claus, meaning "little one." (Sometimes he is also called Neclaus, or "Neciles little one.") Claus grows up in the forest, making friends with the immortals who dwell there: Knooks, Ryls, Nymphs, Fairies and Ak, the Master Woodsman. It is Ak who first shows Claus the world of human beings and the young man is deeply moved by the children he sees, especially the poor ones whose lives are so unhappy.

In "Manhood" Claus decides to leave the forest to devote himself to the care of the children of mankind. He settles in the Laughing Valley of Hohaho; it is there that he will finally become the Sainted Claus of legend. We learn how Claus at first just played with children and made them happy, and then how, by chance, one snowbound winter, as he idled by the fire, Claus created the first toy by whittling the image of his cat in wood. After that he made the first doll from clay, and from then on he made toys of all kinds to give to children as gifts.

As Claus' story continues to unfold we learn how he earned the name Santa Claus, how it came to be that he delivers gifts by reindeer and sled, why he comes only on Christmas Eve and only down the chimney. There are also charming explanations of the origins of the Christmas tree and the tradition of stocking stuffing.

Most importantly, we learn that Santa Claus — the true Santa — never brings punishment to any child, rich or poor, good or bad, but only gifts and only joy.

Finally, in "Old Age," we discover how, at the end of his life as a mortal, Claus, now the white-bearded and rotund figure we know and love, earned the Mantle of Immortality, so he and his good work would never disappear from the face of the earth.

The felicitous combination of L. Frank Baums graceful, lilting language and Mary Cowles Clarks delightful illustrations makes The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus an entrancing reading experience for young and old alike. Its message about the importance of love and kindness in a difficult world endows this story with a universality that goes far beyond the bounds of Christmas. It is a tale, lovingly told, as timeless and immortal as beloved Santa Claus himself.

From the dust jacket of the Greenwich House 1983 reprint edition