Without exaggeration, this is one of the most wonderful New Year/Christmas books in all of world literature. It is Sven Nordqvist's longest story, enough for several evenings of family reading.
Findus has decided that for New Year's he doesn't need chocolate or marmalade; he just wants Father Frost to come visit him in person. Just to drop by for a minute, say hello, and carry on his way. "Hmm," says Pettson, "hmmm..." He also mumbles something about how Father Frost doesn't always show up, he visits some people but not others, and besides, "we live way out in the middle of nowhere, Findus, and Father Frost probably doesn't even know we exist." "Pettson, have you lost your marbles?" the indignant cat replies. "Of course Father Frost knows everything and will definitely come. I wrote him a letter asking him to, after all." Old man Pettson is going to have to find a way out of this one...
How do you make a real-life Father Frost? The gears in Pettson's head start turning with unprecedented intensity; after all, he's only ever built simple contraptions before, but now a Father Frost has to somehow appear on their doorstep on a festive night, talk to a cat, give a gift, and disappear unnoticed—a bold challenge for any engineer! But the technical side of the issue is only half the battle, as there's also the moral and ethical undertone. I mean, Findus sincerely believes that Father Frost will come to see him, so is Pettson essentially concocting an elaborate lie? Meticulously developing the details of a scam to deceive a trusting child?..
The parent reading this book aloud remains in suspense until the very end, not understanding where the author is headed. Is a mechanical Father Frost actually going to come to Findus? Well, okay, let's say you can fool a cat, but how will my own child react to this? They'll decide that if a mechanical Father Frost came to see Findus, then no real one exists, right? Hey, Sven, what were you thinking?! How could you set up the readers like that?!
Relax, parent! You can read this book without worrying about reading ahead to replace uncomfortable parts with your own inventions. In the end, everyone keeps what they have: parents keep their great and bright love for Nordqvist, and children keep their belief in Father Frost!
"The Mechanical Father Frost" for children aged 5-10.
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