The Corrected Lore of a Famous Philanthropist

The Corrected Lore of a Famous Philanthropist by Dustin Perry, illustrated by Aaron Wolf (Shawline Publishing Group) PB RRP $19.95 ISBN 9781922594273

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Santa. Everyone knows who Santa is… or do they? Tales of a cheerful tubby old man clad in red have been passed down through the ages, but are they true? This book exists to set the record straight.

You’ll be surprised to know that Santa’s main role is actually to protect the world from an iniquitous beast named ‘Krampus’. For many years, Krampus would make an appearance on the night of December 24th and take an innocent victim from their home. Something had to be done. Lucky for us, Dolph the wizard suggested that Santa and his crew could counteract this annual fear inducing night, by patrolling the night skies to keep everyone safe. It was only in later years that Santa would also deliver presents, so that the children had something to look forward to.

After a long hiatus, Krampus has now returned and kidnapped little Sophie White on Christmas Eve. Fortunately, Santa is NOT a portly older gentleman. Santa is a fit and muscly 6’6” man, trained to battle and take on evil with his loyal elves Dash, Dan, Rance, Vick, Comet, Coop, Donny and Blitz. Santa and his team, along with Sophie’s older brother Aiden, make it their mission to rescue her. However, there is plenty standing in their way. Krampus lives at the infamous and remote ‘Black Rock’ and is protected by an army of wicked creatures including trolls, gargoyles, wolves and a dragon.

The Corrected Lore of a Famous Philanthropist is a middle-grade narrative recommended for readers who enjoy twisted fairy tales, adventure, magic, mythical creatures, and good vs evil storylines.