Aloha, I'm author Bruce Hale here with a bit of Christmas cheer.
Today I'm gonna be reading to you a book I wrote called Peppermint Post,
illustrated by the talented Steph Liberis.
So here we go.
You won't find the world's busiest post office in Mumbai,
Manila, or even New York, but head due north and there it is, Peppermint Post.
Through its doors flow all the mail for
Santa Claus from all the kids in the world.
Millions of letters with millions of wishes, and
it's never crazier than during the Christmas Eve countdown.
Last minute letters rocketed through the mail chutes in the super sorter
with a zip, and a bip, and a flippety flip.
Let's move it, yelled Postmaster Buck Growlersson to his crew.
The postal workers hurried and hustled.
In the nick of time, the last wishes zipped over to Santa's workshop,
where elves made the last presents and loaded up the sleigh.
At long last, Peppermint Post fell quiet.
All sorted, all sent?, asked Buck.
All sorted, all sent, sir, said his right-hand penguin, Fred.
Buck beamed.
Hot cocoa all around, and he lumbered over to his office.
On the big bear's desk sat his very own cup of cocoa from Mrs. Claus herself.
Time to put up his paws, relax and
aw shucks, poor Buck.
Fred, yelled the postmaster, a lost card!
The penguin goggled and gasped.
To the workshop, he cried.
Too late, said Louie, the elf-in-chief.
Never say never, cried Buck, or
this little girl won't get her wish, and that's unbearable!
But how?
I'll take it to Santa myself, said the postmaster.
You make the gift, I'll find a ride.
Easier said than done.
The sleigh was gone, the snowmobile was on the fritz, and
the North Pole was fresh out of jumbo jets.
Shucks, poor Buck!
But way in the back, under a bunch of junk, they found Santa's backup sleigh.
It was rusted and rickety, but it would have to do.
But who will pull it?, asked Buck.
All the reindeer are gone.
Fred piped up.
It's our problem, so the postal workers will save the day.
Off he waddled to collect the other penguins.
Buck sighed.
Penguins were birds, yes.
But not the flappy-flap kind of bird.
Heck, they belonged at the South Pole, not the North!
It took some doing, but Buck finally harnessed the penguins.
Could this ragtag crew even get off the ground?
Buck set up a prayer.
He hoped the spirit of Christmas would see them through.
On Fred and Sophie, on Sammie and Boo,
we'll catch up with Santa if it's the last thing we do!
And what do you know, the sleigh began to lift.
Flying a sleigh wasn't nearly as easy as running a post office.
Buck and his team hit a few rough spots with a bish and
a bash and a splishety splash.
In desperation, Buck and his team took a hairy shortcut,
but no matter how hard they flew, Santa stayed ahead.
The closer they came to the little girl's town, the more Buck fretted and fussed.
Would they catch Santa before he passed her by?
It was touch and go but
at long last they reached the little girl's house, just after Santa.
The postal workers landed with a whump and a thump, and a bumpity-bump!
Santa popped down the chimney before Buck could shout.
But the big bear didn't quite fit.
Aw shucks, poor Buck!
He tried opening the windows.
All shut.
But luckily, the front door was unlocked.
Buck sneaked up to Santa with a tink,
and a tonk, and a binkety-bonk.
Missing something?, he said.
Santa smiled.
Neither snow nor ice nor weather not so nice can stop Peppermint Post.
Buck smiled back.
They turned to go but then, no!
the big bear froze.
The little girl stared.
Just what I wanted, she said at last.
And with a good night bear hug, back to bed she went.
[MUSIC]
Merry Christmas to all, from Peppermint Post and from author Bruce Hale.
And until the next story time, aloha and happy ho ho ho.
[MUSIC]