Reading the quotes from this book made me smile and want to cry all at the same time. The many letters from children who asked for a loved ones health or for help for someone else was truly amazing. It really made me smile and feel good about the children who will someday be the future of our great country. On the other side, some of the letters to santa were enough to bring me close to tears. It really made me apprecate my family over the christmas season. Definitely a must for anyone's coffee table over the holiday season.

Patrick Flaherty's book is an absolutely charming peek into the thoughts and cares of children throughout the world. As Patrick says in the introduction, "In reading the...letters to Santa, I have a great deal of optimism for the future of our world...It is encouraging to note that many letters that children wrote to Santa were filled with requests for others rather than toys and gifts for themselves." I felt exactly the same way in reading the book. The vast majority of the letters are very funny or cute (such as the one for which the book is named), but especially touching is the section entitled "Letters Santa Reads with a Heavy Heart." These are from kids who are from broken or unhappy homes or in dire need somehow. I intend to share these letters with my children this Christmas, to help us all remember how thankful and blessed we are.