Book Talking By Annie Everall
‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la!’ I love Christmas – it is my favourite time of the year. My tree and decorations usually go up on 1st November and I love that everyone’s Christmas lights seem to make everywhere seem that bit brighter and more cheerful. Even though we still have the impact of Covid, for those who celebrate this, here’s hoping we can enjoy a certain level of festivities this year.
My column this time is a round up of some of the fabulous Christmas books that have been published in 2020/21. Hope they brighten up your classroom storytimes, give you some magical family bedtime storytimes in the run up to Christmas or give you inspiration for those Christmas gifts you might still have to buy.
If like me, you also think about those children who don’t own a book or who might not find a gift under their tree, you might like to know about BookTrust’s Christmas Appeal, that enables people to donate to send a book gift to a vulnerable child https://www.booktrust.org.uk/ Seasons Greetings to you all, hoping all of us have a happy, healthy and wonderful 2022 and that you enjoy my bumper selection of Christmas books.
Board Books (for ages 2 – 5)
Christmas Street
Written by Jonathan Emmett
Illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius
Nosy Crow £14.99 2021
ISBN: 978-1839943126
A lovely, fun, lift the flap rhyming alphabet book, featuring all sorts of Christmassy objects from lanterns to presents. The book also opens out to create a beautiful free-standing frieze.
Don’t Tickle the Polar Bear
Written by Sam Taplin
Illustrated by Anna Larranga
Usborne £12.99 2021
ISBN: 978-11474994682
A touch- feely board book featuring a range of wintery animals but when a child presses the furry patches on each animal, they hear the sound that animal makes. Great fun (and it has an on/off switch for when you need it!)
That’s not my Christmas Fairy
Written by Fiona Watt
Illustrated by Rachel Wells
Usborne £6.99 2021
ISBN: 978-1801310802
Another in the That’s Not My ….. series. Bright pictures with patches of different textures encourage babies and toddlers to turn the pages and touch the picture while waiting to discover the Christmas Fairy.
Nibbles Christmas
Written by Emma Yarlett
Illustrated by Emma Yarlett
Little Tiger Press £7.99 2021
ISBN: 978-1801040105
The third board book about Nibbles the book monster. In this one, he is munching his way counting from 10 down to Christmas. An enjoyable, humorous rhyming story packed with fun objects to spot and count.
Picture Books (for ages 2 – 11)
The Snow Queen
Written by Hans Christian Andersen
Illustrated by Lesley Barnes
Templar £10.99 2021
ISBN: 978-1787416888
A new pop-up version of this classic tale which is just beautiful. The story flows and will read aloud well and captivate a listening audience. Lesley Barnes’ illustrations combined with the quality of the paper engineering in the pop-ups create a truly magical reading experience. This is a book to look at, to listen to, to savour and to own because a child won’t want to let it go.
An Odd Dog Christmas
Written by Rob Biddulph
Illustrated by Rob Biddulph
Harper Collins £10.99 2021
ISBN: 978-008413354
A new story about Odd Dog and she is worrying because it is Christmas Eve, and she can’t find a present for her special friend. Trudging home, she finds a poorly Rudolph and ends up helping Santa deliver the presents. In doing so she discovers the real meaning of Christmas. This is such a joyous book. The illustrations burst off the page and the positive message that Christmas is about much more than giving gifts is an important one for children.
The Toys Christmas
Written by Clare Clément
Illustrated by Geneviève Godbout
Frances Lincoln £11.99 2021
ISBN: 978-0711266377
It’s the night before Christmas and Noah’s favourite toy elephant FanFan is missing. What Noah doesn’t know is that FanFan and all the other favourite toys across the world have a mission – they travel to visit Santa to make sure he knows exactly what ‘their child’ wants for Christmas.
A delightful story with soft pastel illustrations that give an almost dreamlike and magical feel to the story.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
Written by Clement C Moore
Illustrated by P J Lynch
Walker Books £12.99 2021
ISBN: 978-1406395884
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, is my favourite Christmas story of all time. Each year I treat myself to a new edition published that year and on Christmas Eve I read it aloud to my husband and enjoy the Christmas magic. This version, illustrated by P J Lynch is just stunning. Each double page spread beautifully enhances the text of the story poem and the detailed illustrations create a wonderful olde world charm atmosphere and creates the magic of that Christmas Eve. I loved it and it is just made for sharing.
There’s No Such Thing as Elves
Written by Lucy Rowland
Illustrated by Katy Halford
Scholastic £6.99 2021
ISBN: 978-0702302251
When a small boy is told by his best friend that there is no such thing as Elves, he is convinced that there is and sets out to look for them. He becomes more and more despondent when he doesn’t see any and everyone he meets tells him that ”There’s no such thing as Elves” but there’s magic in the air and he learns that you have to believe and to look for them. A funny, warm story with colourful inviting illustrations that have elves hiding in them for children to find.
Little Glow
Written by Katie Sahota
Illustrated by Harry Woodgate
Owlet Press £12.99 2021
ISBN: 978-1913339241
The book takes a different approach to Christmas and indeed to all the other celebrations in our religious and cultural year. Told through the eyes of Little Glow, a small candle flame who wishes to be bolder and brighter. The flame watches as families in the street celebrate various festivals throughout the year Christmas, Diwali, Hannukah, Chine New Year, Ramadan. Gradually Little Glow realises that event the smallest of lights has an important purpose. Beautiful, vibrant full colour double page illustrations encompass a rich, lyrical rhythmic text and showcase a multicultural community celebrating its festivals. The book includes fire safety information and there will be learning resources to accompany the book. A wonderful message of positivity and hope at a time when we need it most.
The Mouse Before Christmas
Written by Tracey Turner
Illustrated by Jenny Løvlie
Sunbird Books £7.99 2021
ISBN: 978-1503762732
“Twas the Night Before Christmas when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring….. except for one mouse”
And that’s how one little mouse encounters Mouse Santa and his sleigh pulled by beetles.
Bright, vibrant illustrations enhance this fun story which offers a lovely homage and twist to the Clement C Moore poem
A Christmas Story
Written by Brian Wildsmith
Illustrated by Brian Wildsmith
Oxford University Press £7.99 2021
ISBN: 978-0192777768
First published in 1989, this is a new edition of what has become a timeless classic by one of our most internationally acclaimed picture book writers and illustrators. The events of the Nativity unfold through the journey of a little girl and her donkey as she travels to Bethlehem to re-unite her baby donkey with his mother, who has carried Mary on her journey. The illustrations are spectacular, and the touches of gold are glorious.
Younger Fiction (for ages 5 – 9)
The Santa List
Written by Kieron Crowley
Illustrated by James Lancett
Scholastic £6.99 2021
ISBN: 978-9780702309779
When Aisling and Joe antagonise their new babysitter, she writes to Santa to have them put on the naughty list. Determined that they are not going to have no presents on Christmas Day they plot to stop this and end up stealing Santa’s present list so that he can’t tell they are on the naughty list. But when they realised that if Santa has no list, no one will get any presents and they find themselves in a race against time to prevent Christmas from being ruined. Enjoyable, full of fun and a laugh-out-loud story….. so, what would you do if Santa put you on the naughty list?!!!
Billy and the Mini Monsters
Written by Zanna Davidson
Illustrated by Melanie Williamson
Usborne £5.99 2021
ISBN: 978-1474986038
Ruby and Billy are very excited because it is nearly Christmas. However, disaster strikes when the mini monsters get tangled up in the tinsel, break all the Christmas baubles and bring the entire Christmas Tree down. Can they find a way to save Christmas? Aimed at the newly confident reader, this full colour simple story is bright and fun to read aloud or share together
A Christmas Carol
Written by Charles Dickens
Adapted by Philip Gooden
Illustrated by Pipi Sposito
Sweet Cherry £6.99 2020
ISBN: 978-1782264897
Part of The Charles Dickens Children’s Collection, this offers an abridged form of A Christmas Carol for a slightly younger audience. It is very readable with accessible language and could be a good way into the story for children not yet ready to read the original.
A Boy Called Christmas
Written by Matt Haig
Illustrated by Chris Mould
Canongate £7.99 2021
ISBN: 978-1838853723
A new paperback version to tie in with the Netflix launch of the movie of the book. It’s a lovely story of Nikolas an 11 year old boy and the origins of Father Christmas, designed to encourage children to continue to believe in the impossible. An enjoyable read that also has themes of hardship, sadness and grief that are dealt with sensitively and are balanced by the humour of the book
Older Fiction (for ages 9 – 14)
Quentin Blake’s A Christmas Carol
Written by Charles Dickens
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
Pavilion Books £12.99 2021 edition
ISBN: 978-978-1843655077
A beautiful new luxury edition of Dickens’ classic Christmas story. Quentin Blake’s fantastic mix of witty black and white and colour illustrations bring life and humour to Scrooge’s journey to find the true meaning of Christmas and brilliantly captures the spirit of this Christmas classic.
The Miracle on Ebenezer Street
Written by Catherine Doyle
Illustrated by Pedro Riquelme
Puffin Books £7.99 2021
ISBN: 978-0241435250
Three years ago, George’s mum died in a car accident on Christmas Eve. Since then, his dad Hugo has cancelled Christmas entirely, much to George and his Nana Flo’s sadness. Then one day George stumbles upon Marley’s Curiosity Shop and in it he finds a mysterious snow globe that seems to show a scene from a past Christmas, a time when he and his family were happy and celebrating.
What he doesn’t know is that ”Old Marley’s magic leaked out” and that night he and his dad and intrepid Nana Flo are swept away on an adventure, visiting a past, present, and future Christmas, along with Randolph the purple reindeer and Trixie the miniature elf who somehow always manages to cause chaos!! This is a heart-warming, modern re-imagining of A Christmas Carol and I absolutely LOVED it. It has a wonderful cast of characters, is full of magic and humour, but also deals very sensitively with the issues of grief. There is something almost ‘Narniaesque’ about it and It would be the perfect book to read a daily chapter, to a class or as a bedtime storybook, in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
The Very Merry Murder Club
Edited by Serena Patel & Robin Stevens
Farshore £12.99 2021
ISBN: 978-0755503681
A superb collection of thirteen wintery murder mystery stories by a diverse range of new and established writers. Really well written, they give young people the chance to put their detective skills to the test to see if they can solve the cases. Fresh, funny, original, and compulsive reads, they would be great to read aloud to a class and perfect for young people who enjoy detective and mystery novels.
Factual Books (for ages 8 – 12)
Have Yourself a Horrible Christmas
Written by Terry Deary
Illustrated by Martin Brown
Scholastic £9.99 2020
ISBN: 978-0702305177
A whole series of foul festive facts, tales, jokes and games, given the ‘Horrible’ treatment by author Terry Deary. The Horrible Histories series are so popular, and this festive edition is no exception.
Annie Everall OBE
Director, Authors Aloud UK,
www.authorsalouduk.co.uk @authorsalouduk @read4eva
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