It was a leaner and, yes, meaner...

It was a leaner and, yes, meaner Santa Claus who entered the bookstore in search of gifts for the people on his “nice” computer print-out. He regretted losing Donner and Blitzen in the recent downsizing (though in all fairness they had been delicious), and needed some easy-to-deliver paperbacks.

ORIENTAL ART

The Century of Tung Ch’i-ch’ang 1555-1636, Volumes 1 & 2 edited by Wai-Kam Ho & Judith G. Smith (Nelson-Atkins Museum/University of Washington Press: $75 the set; 465 and 603 pp.) rank as the year’s most impressive paperback art books. Issued in conjunction with an exhibit that ran in Los Angeles this summer, these collections of essays survey the work and influence of the great Ming dynasty painter, calligrapher, scholar and connoisseur. The ink paintings may lack the baroque grandeur of the monumental Sung landscapes, but they display a fragile intimacy that will appeal to Western audiences. However, the sheer size of the books may be a bit off-putting: The pair weighs in at a hefty 15 pounds, and they’re simply too big and heavy to hold comfortably and read.

Korean Art and Design by Beth McKillop (Icon/HarperCollins: $30; 191 pp) celebrates the opening of the Samsung Gallery in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Korean ceramics have long been esteemed by collectors in both Asia and the West, and Ian Thomas’s photographs highlight the subtle tones that can be achieved with celadon glazes-from grey-green to seafoam to delicate aqua. The late 19th century brushpots and boxes of iron inlaid with linear patterns of silver wire have a strikingly contemporary look.

WESTERN ART

Piero della Francesca: The Arezzo Frescoes by Perry Brooks (Rizzoli: $7.95, unpaginated) takes the reader through the cycle of frescoes the great 15th century artist painted in the Church of St. Francis. Unfortunately, the originals have been badly damaged by seepage, and these large color plates may offer viewers a clearer picture of della Francesca’s achievement than a visit to Arezzo. “Piero” is being issued with two other installments in the large-format Rizzoli Art Series, “Henri Matisse” and “Mary Cassatt.” At $7.95 apiece, these big, attractive books offer parents a way of introducing their children to fine art--if jelly gets on a page, it doesn’t mean the end of an expensive coffee table tome.

The intricate, interlocking figures in M. C. Escher’s drawings and woodcuts have fascinated viewers for decades. Nearly 180 previously unpublished illustrations by the Dutch artist appear in M.C. Escher: Visions of Symmetry (Freeman: $24.95, 354 pp.). Author Doris Schattschneider explains how he used mathematical formulae to explore his fascination with the “regular division of the plane.” Readers who haven’t dealt with equations since high school algebra may prefer to skip the math and study the designs on their own.

NATIVE AMERICAN ART

Because of--or in spite of--the ongoing popularity of Southwestern cuisine and decor, some of the year’s most striking books showcase the Native American art of the region. Lucy M. Lewis by Susan Peterson (Kodansha: $39.95, 218 pp) surveys the work of the celebrated matriarch of a family of Acoma potters. As a young woman, Lewis was inspired by the ancient shards she found near her home; as she mastered her art, she continued to use traditional forms, designs and techniques. The understated elegance of her pottery reflects Lewis’ credo, “I mix my clay with me.”

Reflections of the Weaver’s World by Ann Lane Hedlund (Denver Art Museum/University of Washington Press: $29.95, 112 pp) offers an overview of the work of contemporary Navajo weavers, almost all of whom are women. The bold, geometric designs in their wool rugs are not copied from patterns or cartoons, but grow from the artisan’s mind during the weaving process. This handsome book is certain to please anyone interested in textiles, Amerindian cultures or women artists.

Readers curious to explore the region where these pots, rugs and other handiworks are created should consult The Guide to National Parks of the Southwest by Nicky J. Leach (Southwest Parks & Monuments Association: $12.95, 80pp). Although the upbeat copy sounds suspiciously like a tourist brochure, this slim volume features some striking photographs of rock forms, sunsets and animals, as well as a lot of maps and practical information.

The Ancient Americas: Art from Sacred Landscapes edited by Richard F. Townsend (Art Institute of Chicago: $35; 397 pp) rivals the volumes devoted to the work of Tung Ch’i-ch’ang for sheer visual beauty. The text, a collection of scholarly essays, offers intelligent discussions of various aspects of Native American culture: Mimbres pottery, the origins of Mayan art and architecture, possible interpretations of the Nazca lines in Peru. The stunning photographs of artifacts and archeological sites range from a frightening mask of Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god, to the serenely majestic Inca ruins at Machu Picchu to an exquisite gold pendant from Colombia. A glorious celebration of indigenous New World civilizations.

HOLLYWOOD/POP

Jon Tuska offers readers a decidedly different vision of the American West in The Complete Films of Mae West (Citadel Press: $15.95, 196 pp). Despite the title, it’s a thorough showbiz biography that traces the career of the mistress of double entendre from the New York vaudeville stage to her final Hollywood fiasco, “Sextette” (1978). Although she was the highest paid woman in America by 1935, West admitted to her maid in “She Done Him Wrong,” “I wasn’t always rich . . . I once was so poor I didn’t know where my next husband was coming from.”

Stacey Endres and Robert Cushman trace the history of another Industry legend--Grauman’s (now Mann’s) Chinese Theatre--in Hollywood at Your Feet (Pomegranate Press: $19.95, 351 pp). A must for old movie buffs, this anecdotal account features pictures of the 154 hand-and-footprint ceremonies that took place in the “Forecourt of the Stars” between 1927 and 1991. The guide to the 175 inscribed squares will enable Angelenos to appear knowledgeable if they play host to any of the two million tourists who visit the Chinese each year.

Robert Kimball assembled an extraordinary array of production stills, behind-the-scenes photos and personal snapshots for his lavish biography Cole (Delta: $20., 283 pp). Originally published in 1971, this nostalgic, sepia-toned book begins with “Bobolink Waltz,” which Porter published in 1902 at the age of nine, and continues through the television musical “Aladdin” (1958), for which he wrote the intriguingly atypical lyric, “Wouldn’t it be fun not to be famous, wouldn’t it be fun not to be rich!” Musical comedy fans will also enjoy Kimball’s recent anthology, The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter (Da Capo Press: $19.95, 501 pp).

Readers who prefer pop music to show tunes will enjoy the newly revised The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll edited by Anthony DeCurtis & James Henke, with Holly George-Warren, originally edited by Jim Miller (Random House: $22.50, 710 pp.). The anthology received ecstatic reviews when it first appeared in 1976, and the new edition has been updated to include Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, U2, rap, etc. With essays and discographies for various genres, artists and eras, it’s a sure-fire gift for aging Beach boys fans, aspiring musicians and other air guitar virtuosi.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Some the most striking celebrity portraits from Rolling Stone appear in Photographs Annie Leibovitz 1970-1990 by Annie Leibovitz (HarperPerennial: $35, 232 pp). Bette Midler half-buried in long-stemmed red roses, Clint Eastwood bound hand and foot and Roseanne and Tom Arnold in a mud-wrestling session rank among the arresting images created by this innovative photographer.

More of Leibovitz’s work appears in Dancers, part of the exceptional “Photographers at Work” series issued by the Smithsonian Institution Press ($15.95 each). Each volume includes a thoughtful interview with the subject, a selection of pictures and technical notes. “Dancers” concentrates on Leibovitz’s outre portraits of Mark Morris from the White Oak Dance Project. Hotel Room With a View focuses on the work of Bruce Weber, while Travel in the American West surveys the landscapes of Len Jenshel. Additional volumes are devoted to Tina Barney, Lee Friedlander, Jan Groover, Jay Maisel, Mary Ellen Mark, Joel Meyerowitz and Nicholas Nixon. Any and all of these noteworthy books would delight a shutterbug, as would Breaking Bounds: The Dance Photography of Lois Greenfield by William A. Ewing (Chronicle: $22.95, 120 pp.). Greenfield’s dynamic studies vividly capture the movements of David Parsons, Daniel Ezralow and their dancers.

DO-IT-YOURSELF

Alan & Gill Bridgewater offer clever designs for 16 wooden playthings in The Beastly Book of Dinosaur Action Toys (McGraw-Hill: $14.95, 213 pp). However, the instructions call for lots of tools (jigsaws, scroll saws, etc.) and considerable wood-working skill--only an accomplished amateur carpenter could execute these plans. The imaginative patterns in Hideharu Naitoh’s Dinosaur Carton Craft (Japan Publications: $10.95, unpaginated) look considerably easier, but they require precision work with a razor-sharp cutter. Anyone planning on presenting a favorite child (or adult) with a set of these nifty dinosaurs should stock up on corrugated cardboard boxes, blades, glue--and band-aids.

The delight of rock hounds, geodes are nests of crystals hidden within unimpressive-looking rocks. The Geode Kit: The World of Crystals (Running Press: $16.95) includes an informative, 96-page illustrated book by Timothy Cunningham and the chemicals to make two bright red synthetic geodes. It takes about a week to grow the red-dyed alum crystals, but setting up the project would keep a science-minded child occupied on a holiday afternoon (with parental supervision). The Dinosaur Hunter’s Kit (Running Press: $16.95) offers budding paleontologists a chance to excavate a miniature Apatosaurus skeleton from a block of pressed clay. The accompanying book stresses the importance of note-taking and a careful, scientific approach.

CARTOONS

Several of America’s most popular comic strip artists have anthologies out for the holiday giving, many of them featuring special bonuses. Fans of the irrepressible Calvin and his stalwart tiger companion will feel The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson (Andrews & McMeel: $12.95, 256 pp) is just that. Although many of these strips have been collected previously, the Sunday panels are reproduced in color and a new adventure-in-verse is included as an introduction. One caveat: “Indispensable” has been on the paperback best seller list since it first appeared, so people who want it may already have it.

Gary Larson’s new “Far Side” collection, Cows of Our Planet (Andrews & McMeel: $8.95, 95 pp), features a full-color fold-out of the improbable title bovines. The self-inflating “Polynesian Puffer Cow” and the extinct “Texas Longnose” will reduce even the most staid relatives to helpless giggles. Fox Trot En Masse by Bill Amend (Andrews & McMeel: $12.95, 256 pp) boasts a “Slug-Man” comic book drawn by computer nerd Jason Fox. A satire of both sibling relationships and superhero comics, “Slugman” demonstrates how well Amend remembers what it was like to be an adolescent.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Garry Trudeau surveys the sordid career of Uncle Duke, the “Doonesbury” character who began as a caricature of Gonzo journalist Hunter Thompson but became the embodiment of the amoral greed-head mentality of the ‘80s in Action Figure! (Andrews & McMeel: $19.95, 224 pp). The book comes with a 5-inch jointed toy of Duke who carries two guns and a miniature whiskey bottle.

Long before “The Simpsons” became a national phenomenon, Matt Groening was mercilessly lampooning the excesses of American culture in his outrageous strip, “Life in Hell.” The Road to Hell (HarperPerennial: $8, 46 pp.) proves success hasn’t dulled his wit. No other cartoonist would have a worried character ask, “If Casper is a friendly ghost, where did they bury the body of Casper the friendly dead kid?” Keith Robinson, who defines the dilemma many young Southern Californians face with his “Get a job”/”Get a tan” debate, offers an overview of his skewed commentary on life in 5 Years of Making It (Making It Productions/ PO Box 10007-64, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266: $8.95, unpaginated). The book is slim enough to fit in a backpack--or hide under a desk blotter.

Fans of classic comic strips will enjoy Pogo, Volume 1 (Fantagraphics Books: $9.95, 68 pp), the first installment in a reprint of Kelly’s complete work. One of the most admired and influential cartoonists of the post-WW II era, Kelly had an unmatched ability to blend superb draftsmanship with absurd humor, sophisticated word-play and political satire.

Anyone looking for stocking-stuffer gifts for cartoon buffs should consider two full-color flip books from Hyperion ($3.95, each, unpaginated). Disney’s Aladdin shows part of the flashy, Cab Calloway-inspired dance the Genie does to “Friend Like Me,” while the title characters waltz through a marble ballroom” in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast: A Postcard Book (Running Press: $7.95) features 30 perforated color stills from the popular feature: They’d make original thank-you notes or decorations for a child’s room.

Pausing as on his way out of the bookstore to give the stack of unsold copies of “Sex” a surreptitious kick, Santa offered his traditional holiday parting, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good read!”