Santa Claus

Dear viewers,

Years ago, I wrote a letter to Sinterklaas and the Pieten asking if I could visit them. They had to think about it for a long time, but then I was allowed to stay for a week at the estate in Spain. I drew the main house, the workshop, the steamboat, the Sint-Nicolaas school, and the courtyards of the ThuisPieten. It became a picture book with a thousand stories.

Because so much has changed since then, I went back to Spain on the 2:15 train. In Madrid, I was picked up by a brand-new Piet bus. I stayed in the same old little house next to the main house, with a sea view. It turned out that all the Piets now live in a Pietenflat they designed themselves, complete with a climbing wall. The attic has been converted into a library, and there's a huge flat-screen TV for watching movies or playing games. The steamboat has also been improved. Most of the Piets now sleep on the upper deck, except for those who don't want to. Coal will soon be replaced by electricity or hydrogen. The solar panels are already installed. I suspect everyone has a mobile phone, even Sinterklaas! But I didn't dare ask.

Much has changed in our country over the years: more bike paths, cargo bikes, electric bikes, and renovated houses. There are also more people. A brand new feature is the training day for Helper Petes! Adults can sign up for this day. After a rigorous training program, culminating in an exam, they can earn a Temporary Helper Pete diploma (valid for three years!). I've drawn everything I've seen. The result is this picture book.

With festive greetings,
Charlotte Dematons

PS: See Witje, Sinterklaas's cat? He's on every page, except when he's staying with us.

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