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Christmas Book Talking

Annie Everall reviews Christmas themed books for children of all ages and all abilities that were published in 2020/21.

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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