The Christmas Coal Man

September 14, 2015
Employed by Santa, a grizzled old man labors away in a dreary mine, loosening lumps of coal with his pickax while dreaming of retiring to a tropical island. After the man makes his annual trek to deliver his coal to the North Pole Santa announces that he doesn’t need it: “The whole coal-in-the-stocking thing just isn’t working.” Instead, Santa plans to reward good children with “something extra special.” Thanks to a surprise gift from Santa, the coal man not only relocates to the tropics but also performs a cheerier task: collecting special seashells for “only the best boys and girls.” Kulka’s vibrant artwork uses humor and lightly caricatured characterizations to enliven what’s initially a fairly gloomy setup—the miner’s faithful mule sports a pink hair bow and impossibly long eyelashes, while the man himself trades his miner’s hat for a Hawaiian shirt as he embraces semi-retirement. Ages 5–9.

October 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-An old coal miner; his donkey, Jenny; and his canary, Pete, work hard, carefully chipping away at the coal for Santa to place in the stockings of naughty children. The little family dreams of moving to a warm tropical island, but times are tough, and money is tight. Things take a turn for the worse when Santa retires the coal concept and tells the man that his services are no longer needed. Just when readers think they've stumbled across the most depressing Christmas story ever, the coal man discovers that Santa has actually swapped a bag of diamonds for his coal. This explanation for the coal legend is an unusual approach for a Christmas story and is unsuccessful. The premise and many of the details, such as canary Pete and the coal's man forced retirement, will be lost on younger listeners. The soft-focused, computer-enhanced illustrations are enervating. VERDICT A tacked-on "happily ever after" ending can't save this ill-conceived offering.-Brooke Sheets, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2015
A new helper for Santa is introduced as an elderly, elfin man who provides the lumps of coal for the stockings of naughty boys and girls. Each year the Coal Man searches through his coal mine with the help of his pet canary and his hardworking mule, gathering enough coal to sell to Santa for Christmas deliveries. The Coal Man wants to retire to a tropical island with his pets, but he can't afford to quit working. This year, when they deliver their annual load to the North Pole, Santa announces that he will stop giving out lumps of coal, as the negative disciplinary tactic isn't working. Instead, Santa wants to try a special positive reward for the well-behaved children. The depressed Coal Man is sent away with one bag of coal as a souvenir, but when he slips on the ice, the lumps of coal spill out into the snow, mysteriously transformed into huge diamonds. The Coal Man retires to his island, working for Santa painting shells to tuck in the stockings of "the best good boys and girls." Humorous illustrations, a large trim size, and double-page-spread format make this a good choice for reading aloud to a group. The full-bleed artwork uses a dark palette of purples and blues, with vibrant flashes from Christmas lights, firelight, and the northern lights illuminating the Coal Man's exciting discovery of his Christmas gift from Santa.