Sometimes Christmas preparations can feel a little overwhelming. This selection of picturebooks take a sometimes humorous and sometimes reflective look at problems and how to resolve them. A robot reindeer, a robin with criminal tendencies, friendship tested and preparations changed feature in the selection reviewed below but all, thankfully, have a happy festive ending.
What is Christmas all about? Fox thinks it’s about presents, Badger is concentrating on the food and Magpie is thinking about singing while preparing, the Mice are keen on Christmas jumpers and Rabbit knows everything must be perfect! Poor Hedgehog and Tortoise are feeling that it is all just a bit too much. Tortoise even wants to get away from it all. But then wise Owl explains that Christmas is all about being with the ones you love and the two little friends realise that he is right. The delightful ending is both soothing and calming.
Merry Whatmas? is an utterly lovely book to share with children in the run up to Christmas and many little ones will recognise Hedgehog and Tortoise from the previous books in this popular series too. Text and illustrations work together creating a bedtime read with an important message. It would also be a delight to read in Early Years settings. Published by Faber.
Santa has a problem. There is only one week until Christmas and it is frantically busy in his workshop but then disaster strikes when Rudolph crashes through the roof spraining his hoof on the way. Now there are only seven reindeer to pull Santa’s sleigh and he will never be able to deliver the presents in time! A search begins to find a suitable replacement for Rudolph and a cheetah, zebra, hare, moose and others are all discarded as not appropriate. Then Head Engineer Lizzie comes to the rescue with her Robot Reindeer. Is her invention up to the job?
This is great fun, with a bouncy rhyming text to read aloud and bright, merry illustrations with child appeal. It is the third in a series following Santa’s New Beard and Santa’s New Sleigh and will no doubt be a hit in both schools and homes. Published by Faber.
Robins have a long and popular association with Christmas. This robin is rather different. Rotten Robin, the world’s most wanted criminal, hates Christmas and has hatched a plan to steal it aided by his gang of feathered friends. Everything must go, the decorations, the mince pies and even Santa. However Rotten Robin and his accomplices have not taken into account that the good robins are determined to foil his cunning plan. When he is forced to give back everything that he has stolen he realises that giving and sharing creates a rather different feeling than he was expecting.
In this humorous and entertaining story Rotten Robin is not quite changed from James Bond Villain to saint but he does learn an important lesson and this book does highlight the value of sharing and giving at Christmas time. The illustrations made me smile being full of clever little touches and the expressions on the characters are brilliant. A book with an appeal to children aged 3+ published by Puffin Books.
Old Bear is feeling nostalgic about Christmas and wants to recreate the magical day she remembers from when she was a cub for all her friends. She busies herself around the house preparing, cleaning and cooking. The large tree outside her house is perfect to decorate for the special celebration. Finally she is ready, the colourful paper chains are up, the tree looks glorious, and the biscuits are iced. The invitations are sent to all her friends and the spiders have been banished from the spotless house. But while Old Bear sleeps the spiders, sad that they are not invited, are busy spinning their wonderful webs. When Old Bear wakes she is horrified at the sight but her friends see only the beauty of the spiders’ work.
Christmas Cobwebs has a nostalgic charm that captures the traditional feel of a homely Christmas. The muted illustrations match the warmth of the book’s message and this magical tale of acceptance may prompt conversation about respecting others. It is a kind story. Published by Tiny Owl Books.
Merry Whatmas? by Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar
What is Christmas all about? Fox thinks it’s about presents, Badger is concentrating on the food and Magpie is thinking about singing while preparing, the Mice are keen on Christmas jumpers and Rabbit knows everything must be perfect! Poor Hedgehog and Tortoise are feeling that it is all just a bit too much. Tortoise even wants to get away from it all. But then wise Owl explains that Christmas is all about being with the ones you love and the two little friends realise that he is right. The delightful ending is both soothing and calming.
Merry Whatmas? is an utterly lovely book to share with children in the run up to Christmas and many little ones will recognise Hedgehog and Tortoise from the previous books in this popular series too. Text and illustrations work together creating a bedtime read with an important message. It would also be a delight to read in Early Years settings. Published by Faber.
Santa’s New Reindeer by Caroline Crowe and Jess Pauwells
Santa has a problem. There is only one week until Christmas and it is frantically busy in his workshop but then disaster strikes when Rudolph crashes through the roof spraining his hoof on the way. Now there are only seven reindeer to pull Santa’s sleigh and he will never be able to deliver the presents in time! A search begins to find a suitable replacement for Rudolph and a cheetah, zebra, hare, moose and others are all discarded as not appropriate. Then Head Engineer Lizzie comes to the rescue with her Robot Reindeer. Is her invention up to the job?
This is great fun, with a bouncy rhyming text to read aloud and bright, merry illustrations with child appeal. It is the third in a series following Santa’s New Beard and Santa’s New Sleigh and will no doubt be a hit in both schools and homes. Published by Faber.
The Robin Who Stole Christmas by Rachel Morrisroe and Richard Merritt
Robins have a long and popular association with Christmas. This robin is rather different. Rotten Robin, the world’s most wanted criminal, hates Christmas and has hatched a plan to steal it aided by his gang of feathered friends. Everything must go, the decorations, the mince pies and even Santa. However Rotten Robin and his accomplices have not taken into account that the good robins are determined to foil his cunning plan. When he is forced to give back everything that he has stolen he realises that giving and sharing creates a rather different feeling than he was expecting.
In this humorous and entertaining story Rotten Robin is not quite changed from James Bond Villain to saint but he does learn an important lesson and this book does highlight the value of sharing and giving at Christmas time. The illustrations made me smile being full of clever little touches and the expressions on the characters are brilliant. A book with an appeal to children aged 3+ published by Puffin Books.
Christmas Cobwebs by Pippa Goodhart and Ema Maliauka
Old Bear is feeling nostalgic about Christmas and wants to recreate the magical day she remembers from when she was a cub for all her friends. She busies herself around the house preparing, cleaning and cooking. The large tree outside her house is perfect to decorate for the special celebration. Finally she is ready, the colourful paper chains are up, the tree looks glorious, and the biscuits are iced. The invitations are sent to all her friends and the spiders have been banished from the spotless house. But while Old Bear sleeps the spiders, sad that they are not invited, are busy spinning their wonderful webs. When Old Bear wakes she is horrified at the sight but her friends see only the beauty of the spiders’ work.
Christmas Cobwebs has a nostalgic charm that captures the traditional feel of a homely Christmas. The muted illustrations match the warmth of the book’s message and this magical tale of acceptance may prompt conversation about respecting others. It is a kind story. Published by Tiny Owl Books.