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When Santa Fell To Earth

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What would happen if Santa fell to Earth? Christmas through the eyes of Cornelia quirky, funny, ultimately heartwarming, and packaged in a collectible format. A new holiday classic!

Scared by a storm, Twinklestar, the least reliable reindeer, bolts--causing Santa and his sleigh to crash-land. And though Santa has dropped into a friendly neighborhood, he's not Jeremiah Goblynch, the ruthless new leader of the Council of Yuleland, is determind to put an end to children's wishes and turn the holiday season into his own personal moneymaking scheme. As the last REAL St. Nick around, only Santa stands between Goblynch and his grinchlike plan. With the help and hope of kids Charlotte and Ben, Santa must face Goblynch and his Nutcracker goons to save Christmas!

167 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Cornelia Funke

384 books13.4k followers
Cornelia Funke is a multiple award-winning German illustrator and storyteller, who writes fantasy for all ages of readers. Amongst her best known books is the Inkheart trilogy. Many of Cornelia's titles are published all over the world and translated into more than 30 languages. She has two children, two birds and a very old dog and lives in Los Angeles, California.

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5 stars
777 (26%)
4 stars
1,080 (36%)
3 stars
836 (28%)
2 stars
199 (6%)
1 star
43 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews
Profile Image for Michelle.
395 reviews10 followers
December 4, 2008
We found this at the library by chance, picking it up because we love Cornelia Funke, and Maren hogged it once we got home. She giggled through it, kept telling me how much I would love it, and then repeatedly asked me when I was going to start it.

The first real book recommendation from my daughter! Heart all aflutter here.
Profile Image for Fernwehwelten.
353 reviews241 followers
December 15, 2019
Ich dachte, dass es endlich mal Zeit wird, immerhin ein Weihnachtsbuch zu lesen - beziehungsweise zu hören, denn ich habe die Geschichte bei Spotify entdeckt. Obwohl das Buch eine süße Storyline hatte und der Schreibstil von Cornelia Funke wie immer glänzte, hat es mich nicht so verzaubern können, wie erwartet. 🙆🏼‍♀️ Mal schauen ob ich noch über eine Weihnachtsgeschichte stolpere, die mir mehr Freude bereitet. Vielleicht habt ihr Tipps? 🤔
Profile Image for Loredana (Bookinista08).
687 reviews284 followers
December 21, 2021
Mi-a plăcut tare mult această cărticică pentru copii cu tematică de Crăciun! Ilustrațiile au fost și ele frumoase și în ton cu atmosfera cărții. Mi-a adus oarecum aminte de atmosfera din cărțile de Crăciun ale lui Matt Haig, și poate tocmai de asta m-am și bucurat atât de mult de ea. ^_^ Recomandată pentru copii ceva mai mărișori, fiindcă textul nu este chiar pentru cei care abia au învățat să citească. ;)
Profile Image for Kathryn.
4,609 reviews
December 18, 2019
3.5 STARS

Funke has penned a creative new Christmas story, one that by turns charmed and slightly appalled me. On the whole, I enjoyed it and the sweet, magical moments are the ones that will stay with me. But I would caution parents to share this with children only after previewing it as sensitive children, or those with a steadfast belief in the traditional Santa, may be upset reading about multiple Santas Another negative, the resolution felt a bit rushed and the solution too easy. And a few threads never got resolved, including one about cheating in school which may not provide the best "moral" for kids.

That said, the story also contains many sweet and beautiful chapters that capture the spirit and magic of Christmas and of a true Santa's good heart. It's also a story about friendship, even with those you thought you wouldn't like. Some of the passages are just so lovely; I think my favorite was the one in the elves' workshop and, of course, Christmas Day.

Oh, and I really liked the illustrations!
Profile Image for Peter.
352 reviews195 followers
December 23, 2018
Nun haben wir das Buch bereits zum zweiten Mal uns gegenseitig vorgelesen. Eltern und Sohn (mittlerweile 14 Jahre alt) genießen weiterhin diese etwas andere, teils komische, teils nachdenkliche aber auch spannende Weihnachtsgeschichte. Besonders den verschiedenen Figuren (Kinder, Engeln, Kobolden, Nussknackern und Weihnachtsmännern) Stimmen zu geben macht uns viel Freude. Danke, Cornelia Funke
Profile Image for Marcela Lozano.
49 reviews3 followers
September 11, 2020
Literatura infantil con buenas ilustraciones, mucha imaginación, una historia creativa sobre Santa y la navidad, el resurgir del espíritu navideño en medio de una sociedad consumista.
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,504 reviews229 followers
December 20, 2019
When Niklas Goodfellow's Christmas caravan falls to earth in the midst of a terrible storm, the Santa finds himself with no way of getting going again. Pursued by the evil Gerold Geronimus Goblynch, a bad Santa who leads the Great Christmas Council, Niklas knows that he is in danger. What is worse, the idea of Santa itself is threatened by Goblynch's changes to the way that the world's Santas deliver gifts. Gone are the days of listening to children's wishes - now orders are taken from parents, and for money! - and gone are the Christmas elves and angels. Only Niklas and his helpers hold out for the old ways. But when two young children - Ben and Charlotte - enter the picture, it sets in motion events that will lead to ...

Originally published in German as Als der Weihnachtsmann vom Himmel fiel, this Christmas fantasy novel from Cornelia Funke, author of such popular children's books as The Thief Lord and Inkheart , is an engaging story. It's entertaining, and a quick, fun read. I liked all of the characters, from Matilda the scolding angel to the cursing elves, patient Niklas to shy Ben. That said, I did wonder a bit at the main story idea, as this seems to point to the (quite legitimate) idea that Christmas has become too commercialized, the magic lost to more mundane gift shopping on the part of parents. Given that parents are in fact the ones who buy "Santa's" gifts in real life, I wonder whether reading this tale might make children who are aware of that fact (I was, myself) feel somehow less enchanted by the whole fantasy of Santa. With that caveat - that despite its message of Christmas wonder, it may in fact diminish that wonder for some children - I would recommend this to middle grade readers looking for fantasy fiction at the holidays.
Profile Image for Sophie Crane.
4,678 reviews169 followers
January 2, 2020
Cornelia Funke writes the perfect holiday book for both children and adults! The storyline is clever and makes you smile practically the entire way through!

The story is centered on Ben, a child that appears to be an underachiever, and Niklas Goodfellow, the last real Santa Clause. The evil Gerold Geronimus Goblynch is in charge of the Great Christmas Council and has outlawed the old ways magic was once used for children. Niklas Goodfellow's remaining friends, which consists of elves, angels, and a reindeer, have been banned and/or exterminated. Instead of utilizing these magical creatures, snowmobiles are replacing them forever. Any Santa who disagrees with the new rules is turned into Chocolate. While Niklas was supposed to be in hiding, his reindeer escapes while flying one night; thus, Santa falls to Earth! Now, it's up to Ben and his new friend Charlotte to help the last Santa.

While this is an excellent story, Funke concludes with almost a bittersweet ending. Funke's character, Ben, doesn't seem to develop as the story progresses. Readers will assume Ben is maturing, but as the story continues, he seems to fall into old habits that classify him as the underachiever. It's quite unfortunate that Funke portrays almost every adult as being neglectful of their children yet somehow keeps the spirit of Christmas anticipatory for children! It's a wonderfully hilarious book but be warned that some characters never change (even with the spirit of Christmas).
Profile Image for Fedra.
506 reviews108 followers
January 1, 2021
Happy New Year!

That was a cute story for kids for Christmas (or for New Year's depending when Santa is coming in your country). I think if I was a child, I would appreciate it more. It was still ok, got me craving for hot chocolate next to the Christmas tree.
Profile Image for Kristina.
406 reviews
December 3, 2014
A great book to read aloud. But be prepared to read the last 50 pages in one sitting. I couldn't read fast enough for my 8 year old!
Profile Image for tamsbookishsideoflife.
223 reviews8 followers
December 9, 2019
Hallo ihr Lieben,
mein zweites Weihnachtsbuch dieses Jahr bekommt 3 von 5 Sternen 🌟
An sich hat mir "Als der Weihnachtsmann vom Himmel fiel" sehr gut gefallen, allerdings wollte sich bei mir keine richtige weihnachtliche Stimmung einstellen. 🎅
Mir hat die Nostalgie gefehlt, aber nichtsdestotrotz ist es din schönes, dünnes Buch zum Vorlesen. 🎀
Profile Image for K.J. Haakenson.
Author 1 book31 followers
January 1, 2024
What a delightful Christmas book! It's a quick read but one full of adventure and happy endings. The story has a different take on Santa Claus than I've read before, but Cornelia Funke's works are always gems.
Profile Image for Friend of Pixie.
611 reviews26 followers
May 29, 2013
We normally like Funke, but this story was fairly boring that the terrible reading by the author didn't help. I liked hearing her musical German accent at first, but her voice went up and down from a whisper that trailed off at the end to the shrill and loud voices of other characters. I kept turning the volume up and down, but it was tiresome after a while. Into the second CD, my son lost interest.
Profile Image for Denise Spicer.
Author 16 books72 followers
September 7, 2018
Charming black and white drawings by Paul Howard complement this story about Ben and Charlotte as they help Nicklas Goodfellow, last of the good Santas, defeat Bad Santa, Gerold Goblynch and his evil nutcrackers. Note for parents : Lots of gratuitous comments about swearing. No actual swear words are used but LOTS of references to swearing.
Profile Image for Hannah.
17 reviews
December 24, 2021
Nostalgie-read hat funktioniert! Mochte schon als Kind die regelbrechende Art des Weihnachtsmanns in der Geschichte und jetzt ist mir nochmal stärker aufgefallen, dass Funke viel undercover Kritik an der Kapitalisierung von Weihnachten und dem (eigentlich schönen) Prozess des Schenkens übt.
Einziges Manko leider an einer Stelle das Nutzen einer rassistischen Fremdbezeichnung für Sinti*zze und Rom*nja - hätte maus sich komplett sparen können, so wurde wieder ein stereotypisches Bild aufgebaut.
Aber all in all hat es gute Weihnachtserinnerungen hervorgerufen also 4 Sterne :)
Profile Image for Natali.
508 reviews357 followers
November 13, 2020
My son read this for a book report so I read it too. It is really cute! It sure put him in the Christmas spirit! The book has some sweet themes about the nature of Christmas and childhood. It also seeks to subtly combat the commercialism and cynicism of Christmas with its retelling of Santa. It’s a short book and fun to read with children during the holidays.
Profile Image for Andru Șandru.
2 reviews23 followers
December 24, 2015
Când Moș Crăciun a căzut din cer…

A nimerit pe Drumul Ceței (așa spune cartea), aproape de casa lui Ben. Încă nu ninsese (la fel cum n-a nins nici pe la noi). Moș Crăciun l-a pierdut pe Steluță, singurul lui ren. Rulota i s-a zguduit zdravăn, dar a supraviețuit impactului, vasele îngerilor însă s-au făcut praf (dar ce noroc – cioburile se lipesc peste noapte la loc, singure-singurele).
Spiridușii – creaturi mărunte și obraznice – trebuie să repare rapid roțile rulotei pentru că Nicolas Crăciunel – ULTIMUL Moș Crăciun adevărat – trebuie să fugă! Valentin Florentin Crăciunescu e pe urmele lui și dacă l-ar prinde, ar fi destul să-i fure cizmele pentru 24 de secunde. Știți ce-ar păți atunci ultimul Moș Crăciun adevărat? S-ar transforma într-un Moș Crăciun de ciocolată. Căruia un copil i-ar ronțăi vesel capul. Fără nici măcar o umbră de bănuiala că acela e capul adevăratului Moș Crăciun!!
Sună complicat? Probabil am făcut eu ca lucrurile să sune încurcat. Cartea Corneliei Funke lămurește toată povestea asta cu umor, cu o știință sigură a dozării suspansului, cu puterea de a construi personaje extraordinare chiar în miezul imaginilor celor mai stereotipe. Până la urmă, ai fi ispitit să întrebi �� ce mai poți spune nou despre Moș Crăciun? Dar despre îngeri și spiriduși? Despre magia Crăciunului?
Ei bine, Cornelia Funke reușește să scrie o poveste de Crăciun grozavă! Cartea a apărut la RAO în 2008, într-o traducere semnată de Anca-Maria Albici. Volumul are 140 de pagini, 21 de capitole, o copertă cartonată, e foarte bine legat, iar paginile ușor gălbui îi dau un farmec extraordinar, pe care micile greșeli de editare a textului nu reușesc întotdeauna să-l umbrească. E totuși păcat să găsești într-o carte așa de frumoasă neglijențe mărunte care ar fi putut fi ușor evitate. Coperta și ilustrațiile Reginei Kehn întregesc sensul acestei povești contemporane despre magie, spiriduși, îngeri și reni invizibili. E o carte pe care a priceput-o Una la 6 ani, dar pe care o văd citită câțiva ani de acum încolo, chiar și de copii de 10-12 ani.
Adevăratul Moș Crăciun, spune Cornelia Funke, nu e deloc așa cum ni-l imaginăm de obicei – neapărat burtos, neapărat bătrân, neapărat jovial. Nicolas Crăciunel e, în realitate, maaare iubitor de cafea, e tânăr, îndrăzneț, cu plete de culoare închisă, cam jerpelit în costumul lui vechi, e liniștit și nu prea vorbăreț. În rulota lui se ascunde întreaga magie a adevăratului Crăciun – biscuiți proaspăt copți, daruri magice, meșterite de spiriduși obraznici dar pricepuți, licurici și câte și mai câte. Ajutoarele lui sunt Matilda și Emmanuel, doi îngerași dolofani, ea prea vorbăreață, el curajos exact atunci când trebuie (o să înțelegeți când ajungeți la ultimele capitole ale cărții). Nicolas Crăciunel știe să și-i apropie exact pe copiii care au cea mai mare nevoie de el. Unul e Ben, băiatul care-și găsește întotdeauna greu cuvintele, teribil de înstrăinat de propria-i familie. Mai e Carina, fetița care visează urât – ea s-a mutat de vreun an pe Drumul Ceței dar a rămas ”șoricica” pentru copiii din zonă, niciodată acceptată cu adevărat în jocurile lor.
I-a plăcut Unei cartea? La nebunie! Capitolele sunt scurte, 4-6 pagini trec așa de repede că nici n-apuci să clipești și-s gata. Înfruntarea dintre Nicolas Crăciunel și odiosul Valentin Florentin Crăciunescu a ținut-o cu sufletul la gură. Ca să simplific binișor lucrurile, o să spun atât – că primul e Crăciunul magic, celălalt e Crăciunul comercial. Nu-i greu de ghicit de partea cui s-a așezat Una. Apoi, rulota lui Crăciunel emană o magie căreia îi e greu să-i reziști. Și eu, când îmi torn acum cafea, mă gândesc mai întâi la Crăciunel și mi-l închipui făcând același lucru.
Ce nu cred eu c-a priceput cu adevărat Una sunt câteva pasaje despre viața la școală a copiilor (nu are Una habar ce-i aia să copiezi la un test sau de ce ar râde cineva când un coleg nu-și găsește cu ușurință cuvintele). Și nici singurătatea lui Ben alături de propria lui familie nu cred că-i o realitate cu care ea să rezoneze deocamdată – ea încă ne caută compania, încă mai vorbim aceeași limbă la joacă și la plimbare, pubertatea e încă departe, slavă Domnului! J Povestea prieteniei dintre Ben și Carina a răscumpărat însă pasajele astea al căror mister nu cred că l-a intuit Una, pur și simplu a trecut peste ele și asta a fost. A rămas însă cu o rețetă genială de ademenit reni invizibili și cu credința nestrămutată în magia Crăciunului.
Căci asta e darul imens pe care ți-l face cartea Corneliei Funke – îți reamintește (dacă mai era nevoie) că Moș Crăciun există, că magia Crăciunului începe acolo unde se termină ideile preconcepute și clișeele.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews

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