It is Christmas eve, and Strawberry Shortcake leaves her baby sister to decorate the tree alone while she finishes her Christmas shopping. She gets some presents in Holidayland, the Holly Woods, and then finds herself in Santa's workshop. She decides to give her friend Huck some snowballs for Christmas because it only snows berries in Strawberryland. Upon returning home, the snowballs melt and ruin the other gifts as well. On Christmas morning, Strawberry Shortcake apologizes to her friends for having no presents for them. Huck tells her it doesn't matter because "Christmas is about friendship and love, not about presents." However, under the tree there were the gifts, perfectly wrapped. Santa had promised that "everything would turn out just right." The sparkling snow on the cover and Strawberry Shortcake's familiar face will attract her followers to this book. The story is too long and lacks tension. The message is that friends are the important thing, yet Strawberry leaves her friends to go shopping. Most of the story is devoted to her purchases. Children would be better off playing with their own Strawberry Shortcake dolls and creating their own storylines. 2003, Grosset & Dunlap, Ages 4 to 6.