As we’re heading closer towards Christmas, this week we’re highlighting a new festive children’s book, ‘The Real Santa’ by bestselling author, Nancy Redd.
We all know it's not Christmas without Santa! But who is the real Santa?
In this new sell-out book, Nancy Redd questions: does he match the figurines on the mantel, or the faces on our favorite holiday sweaters? Does he look like you or like me?
“The lifelong question for children is: what does Santa truly look like? And the answer has never been black!”
Just like Nancy’s own family at Christmas, the story focusses on an extended family; with grandma, grandpa, mum, dad, baby sister, and the protagonist - a young boy - whose family celebrates traditions every year including black Santa stockings, jumpers, cushions and tree decorations.
While highlighting the beauty of black culture, ‘The Real Santa’ looks to provide young black children and families with their own interpretation of what Santa looks like and engaging them in more stories about black figures and representative heroes.
“Before [the previous] movement of diversity in children's literature, a lot of our books focused around pain, struggle or strength, and that is one facet of our story – some very important ones – so we don’t forget where we come from, so we don’t repeat the mistakes or the issues. But we also have so much fun...Black Santa has been in every black household that celebrates Christmas for decades, but it’s not been celebrated in the mainstream.”