Book Details
Title – Torgar, Santa, and the Marshmallow King
Author – M. P. Morse
Illustrator – Darcy Bell-Myers
Price and Format – $20.95, 7” x 9” hardcover, 48 pages
Publication Date – July 15, 2025
ISBN – 978-1-64343-537-4
Publisher – Beaver’s Pond Press
Category – Children’s Humor, Children’s Norse Tales & Myths, Children’s Multicultural Tales & Myths
For Immediate Release
M. P. Morse’s New Children's Book – Torgar, Santa, and the Marshmallow King – presents a novel ‘origin’ story for Santa and holiday gift giving
Shoreview, Minnesota — June 2025 — Discover how three elves get kicked out of the North Pole for inappropriate behavior and find their way back into Santa’s good graces. M. P. Morse tells the tale of how those elves – a toy maker, an apprentice, and a computer expert – make their way back home on a journey that includes everything from flying squirrels to getting lost in an underground Icelandic shopping mall to meeting an extraordinary character who helps them fight their way through the North Pole Noble Gnome Guardians back into Santa-land and a warm welcome home.
In bringing this story to life, M. P. Morse taps into adventure, humor, repentance, and redemption. Morse explains, “It is my hope that through the enjoyment of this story, young people will see that change is possible. The elves never give up and with help from a source beyond their wildest imaginations, they accomplished their dream.”
While designed for readers in early elementary through middle school, this beautifully illustrated book will warm the hearts of grown-ups, too, as a tale of friendship, perseverance, and reconciliation – with a cute romance to top it off.
To learn more about Torgar, Santa, and the Marshmallow King, visit mpmorse.com or MP Morse Books on Facebook.
Audience
Torgar, Santa, and the Marshmallow King is a charming and beautifully illustrated story that captivates readers of all ages. Designed for early elementary through middle school readers, this heartwarming tale also delights adults with its nostalgic charm and universal themes. Whether you cherish your Scandinavian heritage, seek a fresh take on Santa and holiday traditions, or enjoy stories of diverse characters working together, this book offers a captivating journey. With humor, courage, and a powerful message of teamwork, perseverance, and reconciliation, it sparks the imagination and brings joy to young readers and grown-ups alike.
About M. P. Morse
Raised in rural South Dakota, baling hay and feeding cattle, I never saw an elf, though I sometimes rowed up a shallow creek overhung with low branches to read Mark Twain novels. Elves might have been present, but they didn't show themselves.
Years ago I hitch-hiked on an airplane out of Luang Prabang, Laos—no European-style elves there, nor in Kathmandu, Nepal—just monkeys. One summer I worked as a bellboy in a German hotel, a place elves seemed to avoid entirely. Another time, I hiked across the Wilderness of Judea from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, but the terrain was far too barren for any elf to call home.
In Japan where I taught English, the forests held very different creatures. But later, while earning a Ph.D. in theology in England, I might have seen an elf near Hartlebury Castle. Eventually I moved to Minnesota, knowing from friends visited in Denmark and Sweden, that elves enjoy the Northern Lights here, too.
Now, with a big backyard, a fishpond, and a treehouse nestled close to the forest, and with plenty of plants, I find myself expectant. Perhaps one day, I’ll see an elf at last.
Author Photos
About Darcy Bell-Myers
I haven’t seen an elf, but I used to search for fairies in the woods when I was little. I’ve loved to draw and paint magical creatures ever since. I’m the illustrator of many books and the author/illustrator of The Animal Babies Book of Ballet, The Animal Babies Book of Princesses, and Pretty Ponies Paper Dolls. You may be able to tell by those titles that I enjoy theater, dancing, and animals dressed up in costumes.
I spend time when I’m not illustrating playing the harp for seniors or at weddings, as well as participating in theatrical productions at the Phipps Center for the Arts. The dancing I do is sometimes ballet, sometimes tap, and sometimes swing dancing with my husband, Bruce. Our three children have each been in plays and musicals with us at one time or another. All three are also artists. We live in an old house in Stillwater, Minnesota with three cats and one dog. It was once the home of the mother of actress, Jessica Lange.
Illustrator Photo
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