Holiday Heroes Save Christmas

This iconographic-animated adaptation of the 2018 picture book by author Adam Wallace and illustrator Shane Clester features a jingle-jangly soundtrack and a variety of voice actors, including George Newbern and Qarie Marshall, whose characters pitch in for Santa Claus when an illness threatens his special holiday. The story kicks off with cute factoids about Santa and the members of the fantasy "holiday heroes" squad, noting that Santa likes swimming with sharks and is good at bionic burps, the Tooth Fairy’s real name is "Esmerelda Floss," the Witch is a broom-flying racing star, the Easter Bunny is a great hip-hop dancer, and the Leprechaun is also known as "Seamus O’Brien." The gang learns of Santa’s sickness three days before Christmas and they immediately undertake some crash course training. Of course, when the big night comes, trouble follows—not only with landing the Super Sleighmobile 3000 but also some issues with the heroes using their regular powers in not-so-appropriate ways (Witch turns cookie offerings into spiders; Leprechaun scavenges for loose change). It’s fun to see regular holiday characters outside-the-box in a different setting. Recommended. Aud: K, P. (J. Williams-Wood)