This sweet story begins when Santa returns from making his annual deliveries with one little kitten left over.  Like a child asking his mom, Santa asks Mrs. Clause, “Can we keep him?”  Unfortunately Mrs. Clause is left to be the voice of reason, reminding Santa of his allergies.  When Santa goes to review his letters, the romping kitten discovers one last lost letter under the desk.  In a neat and tidy Christmas ending, the problem of finding the kitten a home and the problem of finding a last-minute gift for the child who sent the letter are mutually resolved to the delight of both kitten and child.  Admittedly schmaltzy, sappy, and sentimental, it might have only ranked as an additional purchase, except sap and schmaltz is just what the Christmas season calls for, and besides, the illustrations do such a wonderful job of capturing the expressions of the characters, that it gets the final nudge into “Recommended.”