Unusual Santas

There are many books about Santa Claus, but just a few about his helpers who assist him in other realms. I have books about two of them, Santa Bear and Santa Mouse, that I"d like to share with you.
Santa Bear's First Christmas by Barbara Read has beautiful, soft illustrations by Howard B. Lewis. It is a very sweet story and would be loved by all members of the family.One day the piece of glacier he is on breaks away from his family and he floats off. Ending up in a forest, he is scared and tired and falls asleep at the foot of a tree.A little girl comes upon him and brings him home to the cave where she lives with her grandfather. Grandfather and Marie teach the little bear to read, dance, and tell stories. He loves them, but of course wants to return to his family. On Christmas Eve, Santa reunites him with his parents and asks him to become Santa Bear.Each year since, Santa Bear accompanies Santa Claus on his journey to distribute gifts to the woodland animals of the world. Although this book is not very old, it is currently out of print and I couldn't find it through any used sellers.

Santa Mouse Meets Marmaduke is by Michael Brown and illustrated by George DeSantis. It is vintage book, being published in the 1960s, but it is still available through Amazon sellers, along with its companion book, Santa Mouse. The story is told in rhyme, which is fun for children who are learning to read as well as for an audience listening.

On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus sends Santa Mouse to the Mouse Hotel as an anonymous guest to observe Marmaduke and see if he is as naughty as things seem. Marmaduke sneaks into Santa Mouse's room and goes through his luggage.Finding the red suit, he puts it on and plays a mean trick on his sisters. Of course he is caught by Santa Mouse and Santa Claus and then feels badly, but everything works out for a fun holiday for all!

What unusual Santas have you seen?