Pudding the Christmas Puppy

By: Dodd, Emma

Published by Candlewick, 2026-09-15

A stray, lonely puppy finds himself on a life-changing adventure aboard Santa’s sleigh, dreaming of the greatest gift of all: a loving home. All alone on a cold winter’s night, an exhausted puppy shelters himself from the falling snow . . . only to awaken and find himself flying high above the clouds in Santa’s sleigh! It’s Christmas Eve, and around the world the puppy encounters families that are safe and warm at home. “If I had a home, how happy I’d be,” the puppy says with a sigh. “Somewhere to belong, with love around me.” It’s only when Santa discovers the secret stowaway the puppy learns how transformative it can be to experience kindness, an open heart, and a real home—at last.