Children’s Museum Director, Professional Santa, Pens New Reindeer Tale

OAK LAWN, IL — You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen — but do you recall Twilight, the most easily distracted reindeer of all?

Adam Woodworth, 52, executive director of the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn and a professional Santa Claus, has just written a new illustrated children’s book, “Twilight: A Reindeer Story,” about a young reindeer who’s determined to be the first doe on Santa’s sleigh team but finds it hard to focus on tasks at hand.

“Twilight has a problem,” Woodworth said, who lives in Lockport. “You have to have an obstacle, and her obstacle is that she gets easily sidetracked by shiny things and pretty colors. She struggles with reindeer games and doesn’t do well.”

On Christmas Eve, Twilight, gets a little bit of encouragement from Santa, who asks the pretty little doe to go to his workshop and retrieve a gift that he forgot to load on his sleigh.

“She sees a pretty sweater and then the tree with beautiful ornaments,” Woodworth said. “The head elf tracks her down. Santa is leaving but when she runs out with the present, Santa has already left.”

With the help of a tiny elf named Elfie (the most popular name for “elf on the shelf,” by the way), he jumps on Twilight’s back, and they fly to the home where a child is expecting the special present.

“She’s concerned about Santa getting angry, but he reassures her that she didn’t give up and made it right,” Woodworth said.

Woodworth did a star turn at the official Santa in the Festival of Lights Parade. | Krista Woodworth

Twilight is still more determined than ever to make Santa’s sleigh team, but Woodworth says that’s another book.

The story was inspired by a short writing that his daughter, Alyssa, 21, wrote when she was five or six years old, about a reindeer named Twilight.

“It was during 2020 when the world shut down and I was going through boxes in the basement,” Woodworth said. “My daughter barely remembers writing it. I thought the name was kind of cool. I thought I'd love to do something with it some day.”

Woodworth, a professional Santa Claus who resembles Edmund Gwenn from “Miracle on 34th Street,” told Patch that when he does home visits, children inevitably ask Santa (Woodworth) if he has other reindeer at the North Pole.

“I’d tell little stories about the other reindeer at the North Pole that don’t make the sleigh team,” he said.

He became a professional Santa in 2019 when his beard grew in white. The first year, Woodworth made 65 appearances. In 2020, when the pandemic disrupted the holidays, he did 140 Zoom visits. The next year, families he visited online wanted him to come to their homes to surprise their children during the holidays. He’s been mostly booked for the 2023 holiday season since the end of March.

“There’s so much anger and discord projected into the world,” Woodworth said. “I thought maybe there’s a way to put some kindness in the world.”

During home visits, Woodworth, who’s performed improv with Limestone Stage Community Theatre in Lockport, adds children’s names to the nice list with a feathered pen and delivers a few presents. Last Christmas Eve, a family hired him to deliver a puppy.

Woodworth belongs to the World Wide Santa Claus Network, an association for professional Santas. Members exchange advice on how to handle the sad, tricky requests. Children might ask Santa to get a kid to stop bullying them at school, bring a deceased parent back, or to fly where their mother or father is stationed in the military and bring them home for Christmas.

He does a fair amount of volunteer work as “Santa Adam.” He was the official Santa at the Christmas Without Cancer 5K in September. He also has a handful of families whose children have special needs and can’t get out to visit Santa at the mall, and volunteers at veterans events.

“Last week I was dressed as Santa for an appearance at the Hyatt.” Woodworth said. “A young lady from Southest Asia worked there. The joy and excitement she had was so funny. She had never met Santa. Kids and adults get so excited.

Last Saturday, Woodworth did a star turn as the official Santa in the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Parade. As Santa Adam, he’ll be doing “Twilight” readings at the Cresthill (Dec. 5) Lockport (Dec. 7), and Romeoville (Dec. 13) libraries, and the Alsip Tree Lighting (Dec. 2). He’s also done a commercial for Harry and David.

Woodworth collaborated with Sri Lanka artist Niluka Damayanthi, who brought the young reindeer who likes to fly at twilight when the sky is all ablaze with pretty colors, to life.

“I’m 52 years old and having all these unique opportunities,” Woodworth said. “Chase your dreams because you might catch one. That’s how I've been signing the books.”

“Twilight: A Reindeer Story,” can be ordered online for $9.99 softcover, $20.99 hardcover from Amazon, Walmart and Barnes & Noble. Next year, the book will be available at stores. Learn more about Santa Adam at NorthPoleSantallc.com