A spoiled, greedy, and naughty boy matches wits with Santa Claus in this hilariously "wicked" Christmas read-aloud. Bradley Bartleby is bad. Very bad. In order to avoid Bradley's wrath, his wealthy parents buy him whatever he wants. All the adults in Bradley's life are running scared―except for Santa Claus, who refuses to give him anything but socks. But Bradley vows to get what he deserves. If Santa won't give him the gifts he wants, Bradley will just have to steal them. He transforms his house into a trap so fearsome even his parents refuse to enter. With dynamite, trapdoors, guillotines, and tigers in his path, Santa doesn't stand a chance. Or does he? Jonathan Emmett gives readers a Christmas tale from a new and devious perspective. Gr 2-4-A beastly boy gets his comeuppance, partially due to his own efforts, and partially thanks to that wily old elf, Santa Claus. Bradley Bartleby starts out bad (at birth, he stole the doctor's stethoscope), and gets worse as he gets older. His wealthy, overindulgent, and frankly terrified parents give in to his every whim, but Santa thwarts him every Christmas with a token pair of socks. Bradley plots hideous revenge, but Santa (unseen except in Bradley's imagination through the entire book) gets the last word with his well-considered holiday gift. Bernatene's digital mixed-media illustrations are a perfectly creepy fit to this unusual holiday tale. There's no telling whether or not Santa's intervention will change Bradley's evil ways, and some might find this budding fiend more than a little disturbing, but fans of the Addams Family and Emily the Strange shenanigans might appreciate the dark humor.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Libraryα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. British bad boy Bradley Bartleby is a spoiled brat who wants to wring Santa for any and all goodies. This tale of one boy’s mean-spirited attempts to get more than he is offered takes predictable turns, as Bradley manages to estrange those nearest to him with his thankless greed, becoming increasingly aggressive. Of course, his best-laid plans to waylay Santa backfire, and he himself is caught in the trap—while Santa gets sweet vengeance. Bernatene’s bright, cartoony paintings offer proportions and distortions reminiscent of animated features like Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Bradley’s cunning is fairly monotone, but his expressions and contrivances are delightful to examine. A solid find for readers more comfortable with videos than with stories on pages. Grades 2-4. --Francisca Goldsmith "This funny, beautifully illustrated story will have you talking about the importance of "being good for goodness' sake." THE WASHINGTON POST Jonathan Emmett was born in England and studied architecture at Nottingham University. He is the author of over sixty children's books and has also illustrated books written by others. He lives in England. Poly Bernatene is a visiting professor at Buenos Aires School of Fine Art. He has worked in advertising, animation, and comics, and has illustrated over sixty children's books in Argentina, Mexico, Spain, England, Australia, Denmark, Germany, France, China, Taiwan and the United States. He lives in Argentina. Used Book in Good Condition