The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

By: L. Frank Baum

Narrated by: Tony Hale

Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

“In all this world, there is nothing so beautiful as a happy child.” (Santa Claus)

The architect of The Wizard of Oz delves into the mythological beginnings of the jolly old elf himself. Baum created a mythological world in which the magical forest of Burzee, created at the beginning of time, is the main source of all otherworldly magical power. Ak, the Master Woodsman, ruled the forests; Kern, the Master Husbandman of the World, ruled the food crops; Bo, the Master Mariner of the World, ruled the seas. All other immortals are subject to these three. Baum also created Ryls as guardians of the flowers and Knooks as guardians of the animals of the world.

Baum first introduced Ryls and Knooks in his collection of short stories, American Fairy Tales. In The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, his mythology is more fleshed out, comprising a rich enchanted world, which also includes the more traditional nymphs, guardians of the trees and fairies, and guardians of humans. Later, when Baum’s creation of Oz became his main focus, he placed all of his fantastical realms around Oz, yet designated that the forest of Burzee was the source of the magic of Oz itself.

Public Domain (P)2020 Audible, Inc.

Great Christmas tale

I remember hearing a little of this as a child, but could not remember the whole thing. It is a truly magical and wonderful Santa origin story!

Santa Rediscovered

What a lovely find on Audible from the beloved author of the fabled “OZ” books. I recommend this joyful tale to all.

Loved this!

Great tale of Santa's origins. Fun and entertaining from his beginnings when adopted by the immortals in the great forests to the generous man who delivers all the toys. Appealing to all ages.

Tony Hale should narrate everything

Cute story, made so much cuter because of Tony Hale’s spirited narration. It would be a little lacking without it.

Loved it.

My 6 year old granddaughter and I have been listening to this Audible book before going to sleep,when she spends the night and we both love the stories.

A well thought out tale

The brilliance of L. Frank Baum lies in his attention to detail. No fantasy is left unexplained. His charming account of the legend of Santa Claus is an American invention that fleshes out the jolly ol’elf in a way no one else has tried before or since. My only complaint is that there should have been additional voices performing all the characters. The narrator was an excellent telling the tale and as the voice of Santa, however a bit too heavy and gruff for the female and children’s parts. Perhaps the director wanted to make you feel as though grandpa was telling the story? All in all, a very pleasant listen .

Pronunciation is the key.

Keeping in mind that I'm a 61-year-old man listening to a children's story...
...clearly, Mr. Baum was of the opinion that his young readers would have an advanced vocabulary...
...but it is a pleasant fairy tale.
My issue here is with Mr. Hale's retroflexion in pronouncing the 'str' combination as 'shtr'. Words like 'strong' are spoken as 'shtrong', 'destroy' becomes 'deshtroy', and so forth.

It's painful to hear and should not be tolerated.

Fun holiday tale about orgins of Santa

imagine Lord of the Rings mixed with Santa, and youll have this fun tale. Naration is great. Appropriate for all ages.

Wonderful story

A delightful look at the story of Santa Clause.
From foundling baby in a woods to the bright jolly Christmas legend, every step was a magical adventure.
Really enjoyed the story.

Charming story

I really enjoyed this story of how Santa was born and grew into a gift giver to children around the world. Very clever.