Santa’s hat held something better than toys. It held a gift for someone else.
Most Christmas stories for children end with presents under the tree. Lori Ann Kozicky Goldstein’s Where’s Santa? The Sleigh Belle Dancers’ Mission and the Magic Shoe ends with a gift of a different kind. After a missing Santa, a flying shoe, and a swirl of Christmas magic, the story’s biggest moment arrives when Santa reveals what he and the Sleigh Belle Dancers have really been working toward: helping dogs in training learn to help people in need. And the book does more than tell that story. Its proceeds support the very same kind of work in the real world.
Every family has its own way of making the season meaningful: How do you show a child that giving can feel even better than getting?
A Hat Filled to the Top
Once Santa has appeared on stage, he reaches up and gently touches his bright red hat. He gives it a little wiggle and whispers a magical Christmas word. Suddenly, the hat begins to shimmer and sparkle, and in the blink of an eye it is filled to the top with money. The crowd cheers with excitement. In the illustration, golden coins tumble and glow above Santa’s overflowing hat while the dancers clap behind him.
Then the story asks the question every child in the room is thinking: where had the money come from? The answer is the heart of the book. This was money Santa and the Sleigh Belles had raised to help the wonderful dogs in a training program, dogs learning to help people in need. Thanks to that gift, the dogs would now get the care, training, and love they needed to do their very important work. Santa sums it up as he holds up his magical hat: “That,” he says, “is what Christmas magic is all about.”
Dogs With a Very Important Job
For many young readers, this may be the first time they hear that some dogs have jobs. The book introduces the idea simply and warmly. These are dogs in training, preparing for work that will help people. That gives parents and teachers an easy opening to explain that some dogs are trained to assist people with disabilities in their everyday lives, and that the training takes time, patience, and care. That is exactly why the money in Santa’s hat matters so much.
The illustrations make the moment impossible to resist. The dogs in training, who are right there at the event, cannot contain their excitement. As soon as they see Santa, they come running from every direction, tails wagging and paws dancing with joy, and cover him with slobbery doggy kisses. Beagles, a golden retriever, a scruffy little terrier, and spotted Dalmatians climb into his arms and onto his shoulders. Few pages in a holiday book are as likely to draw a delighted laugh.
Gratitude Goes Both Ways
One of the quieter lessons in the story is that thank-you is not a one-way street. Santa laughs as the happy pups bounce around him, giving each one a gentle pat and a big hug and thanking them for making his Christmas even more special. The dogs, in turn, seem to know that Santa’s wonderful gift will help them and their training program. With tails wagging and hearts full of happiness, they show Santa just how grateful they are for his generosity and kindness.
That exchange gives children a clear picture of what giving really looks like. The giver is not the only one who feels good, and the receiver is not the only one who says thank you. Santa is grateful for the dogs, the dogs are grateful for Santa, and the whole room shares in the joy. The story also makes a point of saying the money was raised by Santa and the Sleigh Belles together, a reminder that giving is often a team effort, built one small contribution at a time.
- What job would you most like to see a helper dog learn?
- How could your family give back together this holiday season?
A Story That Gives Back
The giving does not stop on the last page. Goldstein, Director of the Sleigh Belle Dancers, wrote the book to celebrate the team’s 20th anniversary, and her author bio explains that proceeds from the book will be donated to Helping Paws, supporting its mission of training and placing assistance dogs for individuals with disabilities. The back cover puts it plainly: all proceeds of this book will go to Helping Paws Service Dogs of Minnesota. The story’s message and the book’s purpose are one and the same.
That makes the book a natural centerpiece for a family giving tradition. Read it together early in December, then talk about a cause your family would like to support, whether that is an animal shelter, a food drive, or a neighbor who could use a helping hand. Let children choose, plan, and take part. When they see their own small effort make a difference, they will understand what Santa meant when he held up that sparkling hat. And every copy that lands under a tree or on a classroom shelf helps real dogs get one step closer to their very important work.
A hat full of toys is a happy surprise…
A hat full of giving is a gift that keeps going…
A heart full of kindness is where the real magic lives…
In Where’s Santa? The Sleigh Belle Dancers’ Mission and the Magic Shoe, Lori Ann Kozicky Goldstein reminds every reader that the truest Christmas magic is the kind we share with others!