PreS-Gr 1 –On December 24th, Nicholas Duck rushes out to find Santa to tell him what he wants for Christmas and is surprised to find a red coat and "a genuine, official Santa hat" on his doorstep. He happily puts them on, but is overwhelmed when all of the animals he meets corner him and rattle off their wish lists. Nicholas tries to get away and runs into Santa, at last. He relays the animals' requests, forgetting to ask anything for himself, but later realizes that helping to give to others has made him happier than getting any gift. Nicholas's silliness and frustration will appeal to youngsters as will the simple message. Milgrim's charming digital ink and oil pastel illustrations use a successful mix of narrative text and cartoon balloons to move the story along at a brisk pace. A fun selection for storytime or one-on-one reading.–Maureen Wade, Los Angeles Public Library