St. Nicholas in Storyland

St. Nicholas joins some of our favorite characters—in books, on television, and even in comics. Here are some you may know, but look closely, as they may not be quite the way you expect!

Sesame Street

St. Nicholas visits SESAME STREET!

St Nicholas at Sesame Street — *Sesamstraat Sinterklaasfeest*
VNU Tijdschriften, 2001
© Children's Television Workshop

Kids in the Netherlands call St. Nicholas, "Sinterklaas." He visits all his friends in Sesame Street.

Bert. Ernie. Pino.

Pino? Yes—he is the Dutch Big Bird—and he is BLUE! Imagine that.

Rowlf? No, the dog is Tommie.

And his friend doesn't even look familiar—she is Ieniemienie, a special Dutch Sesame Street mouse! Say, "Ien-ie-mien-ie"—a fun name for a mouse.

St. Nicholas also sees Cookie Monster, Grover, Elmo, and many other Sesame Street friends.

Sesame Street (SESAMSTRAAT) is so popular that St. Nicholas has a special video with Pino, er—Big Blue Bird, Tommie, Ieniemienie, and the famous TV anchorman, Aart Staartjes, who broadcast Sinterklaas' arrival in the Netherlands for many, many years.

Even Bert and Ernie have their own special Sinterklaas CD—and sing Sinterklaas songs!

Link

Read about Ernie & Bert meet Sinterklaas—Grover, too!

Bert & Ernie CD — *Sinterklaasfeestje met Bert en Ernie!*
Childrens' Television Workshop, 1993

St Nicholas Sesame Street Video — *Sinterklaas in Sesamstraat,* Childrens' Television Workshop, 1997

Musti

MUSTI is a special little Belgian cat whose best friend is a rabbit named Mister Konijn—which means "Mr. Rabbit."

Do you think Musti could be Hello Kitty's friend?

They have a special St. Nicholas adventure, too——like everyone who lives in Flanders.

Felix

Sophie's friend FELIX the rabbit has wonderful adventures all around the world. Here he is discovering what Christmas is like in different places.

Felix finds St. Nicholas in the Netherlands.SeeFelix riding with St. Nicholas in a boat along a canal. Sinterklaas also rides his white horse over the rooftops.

I wonder what country Felix likes best?

Felix Book — *Felix's Christmas Around the World*
by Annette Langen, illus. Constanza Droop, Abbeville Press © 1997
Available from amazon

Felix & St Nicholas — *Felix and St. Nicholas*
© Abbeville Press
Permission pending.

Paulus

PAULUS has been popular in the Netherlands for a long, long time—he has his own comic strip, radio plays, and even his very own puppet shows on TV.

Here Paulus becomes St. Nicholas' helper. St. Nicholas is very, very busy remembering and visiting all the children everywhere.

So Paulus dresses up like Nicholas to visit the birds, animals, and even the gnomes.

Paulus with the wise old owl — *Paulus and the owl*
© by Jean Dulieu

Donald Duck

When Walt DISNEY goes Dutch, St. Nicholas comes along.

DONALD DUCK, with his Dutch "Katrien" and Huey, Dewey, and Louie, the Big Bad Wolf, and the three little pigs, and more, all have their usual problems with an added twist—trying to please (or at least fool!) Sinterklaas!

Dutch Donald Duck
*Sinterklaasfeest met Donald Duck*, De Geillustreerde Pers BV, 1992
© Walt Disney Compnay
*St Nicholas Center Collection*

Dutch Disney Comic Book — *Oom Dagobert*, 1991
© Walt Disney Company
*St Nicholas Center Collection*

Other much loved authors' classic St. Nicholas stories—

Sankt Nikolaus by Ida Bohatta — *Sankt Nikolaus* by Ida Bohatta. Various ars editions © 1957, still in print; English version, *Saint Nicholas* © 1981. Bohatta, born in 1900, is a classic picture book illustrator whose work is still very popular.
*St Nicholas Center Collection*

Timmermans' St. Nicholas in Trouble — Felix Timmermans' *St. Nicholas in Trouble* first appeared in 1929 and has continued in one edition after another—in both German and English.
*St Nicholas Center Collection*

Kersti and Saint Nicholas, van Stockum — *Kersti and Saint Nicholas* by Hilda van Stockum, tells of a very little Kersti and her rescue by St. Nicholas.
Viking Press © 1940
*St Nicholas Center Collection*
New edition available from amazon.com

Poortvliet's Sinterklaas — *Kabouter Sinterklaasboek* by Rien Poortvliet, the reknown Dutch artist's board book with Sinterklaas songs. © Rien Poortvliet/Kok - Kampen 2001. In Dutch.
*St Nicholas Center Collection*

If you are lucky your library might have these books, or it may be able to get them for you. If not, sometimes they may be found from a used bookseller. These classic stories are good reading, illustrated with simply delightful pictures.

Look here to see some of the many editions of Felix Timmermans' Saint Nicholas/Sankt Nikolaus. And something about this author, too.