Sweet Valley PA
2009
by Shauna

A toy is never truly happy until it is loved by a child ~King Moonracer

QUOTE: CHRISTMAS Critters

King Moonracer is the ruler of the Island of Misfit Toys, featured in the Rankin/Bass Christmas television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. He is a mixture of a lion and a bird (similar to the mythical creature, the Griffin) who circles the Earth every night to find unloved toys in need of help.

Moonracer is first seen flying overhead as Rudolph, Hermey, and Yukon Cornelius make landfall on the Island of Misfit Toys. When they explain to him how they are misfits from Christmas Town and ask for sanctuary on the island, he says he can't do that because they aren't toys themselves, but he does ask for them to help the Misfit Toys. Wanting the toys to find good homes, he asks that if they do return to Christmas Town, they explain their situation to Santa Claus and convince him to stop by, pick up the toys, and deliver them on his annual run, explaining that a toy can never truly be happy until it has been loved by a child. When Rudolph promises they will indeed tell Santa everything when they return home, Moonracer grants them permission to spend the night on the island so they can return home in the morning, summoning his footman, the Spotted Elephant, to escort them to their quarters for the night.