A young boy and his scientist father make an incredible discovery at the North Pole-an ancient book embedded deep within an ice core. Even more incredible is the story the book tells: the long-lost history of Santa Claus you never knew...and will never forget. This origins-of-Santa story is a great holiday read for the whole family. Its mix of action, humor, and Christmas spirit keeps younger readers turning the pages, but "The Man in the Cinder Clouds" is not just a kids' Christmas book. This story-within-a-story reveals the origins of our most familiar Christmas traditions: from Christmas trees, stockings, and lumps of coal to jingle bells, the North Pole, and flying reindeer. Highly original and thoroughly entertaining, "The Man in the Cinder Clouds" will show you how Kris Kringle came to be known as Santa Claus. It wasn't easy.