A young baby named Claus is found abandoned in a forest. Claus is taken in by Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World and a wood nymph named Necile and has a happy upbringing away from other humans. When Claus moves away, he gains a reputation for kindness towards children, and starts carving toys to give them. The evil Agwas steal the toys as they are stopping the children from misbehaving, forcing Claus to enter homes through chimneys to deliver his gifts. There are plenty more adventures in store for Claus before he becomes Santa Claus, in this delightful festive children’s story from renowned author L. Frank Baum.
Lyman Frank Baum (1856 – 1919) was a prolific and well-known American writer. He is best known for his famous series of modern fairy tales set in the imaginary land of Oz. The first of the books, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ is widely considered to be the first true American fairy tale and was the basis for the hugely popular 1939 classic musical ‘The Wizard of Oz’ starring Judy Garland. Born and raised in New York, Baum held a range of jobs including as a poultry farmer, clerk, and storekeeper before pursuing his talent for writing at the age of 41. He wrote 14 novels in the Oz series, as well as over 40 other novels and over 80 short stories. He died in California in 1919.