That's Not A Puppy!

North Pole, we have a problem! It seems that Santa has inadvertently left a reindeer under the tree instead of a puppy for one unsuspecting child. To complicate matters, the child still wants the puppy anyway. (Go figure.) This humorous, bouncy little tune is a perfect spotlight for your young performers. The melody is cute, the story is cute, and no doubt the reindeer is cute, too, even if it is relegated to a post-Christmas return... or regift! You can have a lot of fun letting your students scold Santa, notably at the chorus where they get to proclaim, "That's not a puppy!" The highlight comes at measure 5 on the D.S. when one of your kids reads a letter to Santa – slowly enough so that it's clearly understood and approximately lasts till the rest of the singers come in at the bridge.

Toward the end of the song, there is a sound effect for the reindeer's departure. To punctuate the moment, have singers look up. Some or all could also point up as the last soloist says, "There goes the reindeer!"

Hoofing along! - Because of the style of this song, we feel it's a natural for movement, if you're inclined to add some. Happily, our choreographer, Melissa Schott, provides you with some suggestions on a video made specially for this tune. As always, she encourages you to alter and adapt her ideas however they work best for your little steppers. You can find her video and teaching notes at our web site.