Looking for the best Christmas books for kids to spark a little magic this holiday season? Whether you’re building a festive bedtime routine, choosing the perfect Christmas storybook for toddlers, or hunting for beautiful illustrated Christmas classics your family can treasure year after year, there’s nothing quite like curling up with a cosy tale in December.
From heart-warming stories full of kindness and wonder to laugh-out-loud festive adventures, these children’s Christmas books are guaranteed to get little ones excited for the big day. Here’s our handpicked list of the most brilliant Christmas books for kids to read, gift, and enjoy together this year!
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Brilliant Books about Christmas for Kids!
Board Books
Night Night, Sleepy Elves – Selina Wood (author), Gareth Williams (illustrator) Little Tiger (publisher)
What a seasonal, sweet and sturdy board book. Your little ones can enjoy tucking in the adorable elf friends as they head off to bed after a hard day of work. There’s little Ben and his sleepy eyes who needs putting to bed, there’s Pip, who is shattered from checking all the letters, Lou’s been working hard in the workshop and is ready for her sleep, Jack’s been polishing the reindeer bells and Flo’s tied her last bow and needs to curl up for a rest. Your little ones can turn the pages of this sturdy board book and open the lift-the-flaps on each page for a sweet good night message from each of the cute elves.
This is a gorgeous board book for little ones: it’s adorable in the extreme, it’s engaging (getting those fine motor skills going when they lift the flaps), it’s colourful and it’s the perfect size to take with you everywhere. The adorable illustrations are bright and filled with seasonal scenes and cute characters designed to draw your little readers in. Merry Christmas little elves.
- New Store Stock
- Wood, Selina (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 12 Pages - 10/03/2024 (Publication Date) - Little Tiger (Publisher)
We’re Going on a Sleigh Ride – Martha Mumford (author), Cherie Zamazing (illustrator), Bloomsbury Publishing Limited (publisher)
We’re going on a sleigh ride, ho, ho, ho!! Off we go!! Let your little ones get stuck in with the joy and fun of the season by setting off on this magical lift-the-flap adventure into the skies on Santa’s sparkling sleigh.
Each page of this exquisite board book is crammed full of stunning illustrations of festive fun and magical characters, bringing the magic of the season to life. Your little ones can turn the pages of this sturdy board book and lift the flaps trying to find all the hidden presents in the book, making sure they count them all off on the way! And, you never know, they might just find something under the lift-the-flap tree on the final page.
This is a cracker of a Christmas gift for any young child to allow them to really get in the festive spirit and really revel in the excitement of the season. Filled with winter magic and heartwarming scenes, this is a winter wonderland of a rhyming romp for your little ones.
- New Store Stock
- Mumford, Martha (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 24 Pages - 10/13/2022 (Publication Date) - Bloomsbury Children's Books (Publisher)
Little Fir Tree – Emily Dove (illustrator), Chronicle Books LLC (publisher)
Celebrate the Christmas season in the sweetest of ways with this adorable finger puppet book. Let your little ones fall under the festive magic of the season with the gorgeous green fir tree while she grows up big and strong and celebrates the winter season with her woodland friends and family.
This really is the most sweet, celebratory rhyming board book to fill your little one with the joy and spirit of the snowy season. They will be captivated by the little fir tree, waggling its gorgeous green velvet face around and spotting all the different animals on the beautifully illustrated pages. It’s the perfect stocking filler for your little one and a handy size to pop in a nappy bag or a pushchair to entertain those little hands while you are out and about this season.
Christmas Cheer is Everywhere – Wednesday Kirwan (illustrator), Chronicle Books LLC (publisher)
What a fun and festive idea for a Christmas book for little ones! Your child will have lots of fun with the interactive wheel in this guessing game of a board book.
So, how does it work? You can hide a Christmas gift, ornament, candy cane, bow and more and then ask your child to guess which lift-the-flap object it is hiding behind. Have they guessed correctly? If not, try the other flap! You can both play again and again, spinning the seasonally-themed wheel and celebrating with Christmas cheer if your little one gets it right.
This chunky board book is stunningly illustrated with vintage-style, adorable festive scenes which your little ones will delight in. The lift-the flaps and interactive wheels are the perfect way to get those fingers moving and help develop those all-important fine-motor skills. Joyful, bright, cheery and fun, this is a cracking Christmas book for young readers.
- New Store Stock
- Chronicle Books (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 10 Pages - 11/07/2024 (Publication Date) - Chronicle Books (Publisher)
Picture Books
Captain Christmas – Karl Newson (author), Tom Knight (illustrator), Bloomsbury Children’s Books (publisher)
Yo, Ho, Ho and a bottle of fun! Welcome aboard the most seasonal ship on the seas … the Yo, Ho, Ho!!
You might have thought that Santa has a sleigh pulled by reindeers …so, you might be surprised to find that his elves used to be pilfering pirates once upon a time and that Santa goes by another name – Captain Christmas!
Captain Christmas restored the pirate-elves sense of jollity and kindness and so they sailed the world on the Yo, Ho, Ho giving back all that they took. And now, they are sailing the seas on Christmas Eve to deliver Christmas presents to every child.
What a wonderfully fun, fresh seasonal sensation. Christmas like you have never heard of it before! And this Christmas cracker of a book is just made to be read aloud as the rhyming story flows beautifully off the pages of the exquisitely illustrated and gorgeously detailed book. We love the colour and detail in the illustrations – there is so much to look at and so many hilarious characters to giggle over with your little one. Merry Christmas me hearties, make sure to stuff this one into your little one’s stocking!
- New Store Stock
- Newson, Karl (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages - 10/10/2024 (Publication Date) - Bloomsbury Children's Books (Publisher)
Merry Christmas Zoo – Lisa Eickholdt and Lola M. Schaefer (authors), Laura Watkins (illustrator), Chronicle Books LLC (publisher)
We are absolutely IN LOVE with this amazing animal seasonal beauty of a book. It’s Christmas at the zoo and the animals are all in for a holiday treat. Inspired by real-life events at many zoos around the world (awwwwww!), this rhyming romp of a seasonal story is sure to fill you and your little ones with all the warmth and joy of the season as it takes you on a magical journey with Santa and his zookeeper helpers. They are all getting ready to surprise the different animals with some festive fun for the Christmas morning – no animal is missed, as tigers, hippos, gorillas, leopards, otters and many more get to join in the fun.
This is a book to delight your little readers as they turn the exquisitely illustrated pages of the rhyming story (a perfect read-aloud for a winter’s night). They will be filled with love and the joy of the season as the story celebrates compassion, kindness, loving and giving for all creatures. Not only were we captivated by the adorable illustrations of the animals and Santa but we just loved the pages at the back of the book detailing how this story is based on real happenings at zoos around the world as they work to stimulate the animals in their captivity. We were fascinated by the different gifts that different animals enjoy.
A real Christmas cracker of a story which would be a beautiful gift to a loved animal lover this Christmas.
- New Store Stock
- Hardcover Book
- Schaefer, Lola M (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages - 10/24/2024 (Publication Date) - Chronicle Books (Publisher)
Has Santa Been? – Lucy Rowland (author), Karl West (illustrator), Scholastic (publisher)
We are huge fans of Lucy Rowland’s rhyming writing style but this fabulously fun festive picture book just might be our favourite yet!
Poor old Father Christmas has been hitting the drink rather hard! Not like that! Delivering the presents is rather thirsty work and now he’s had way too much milk, juice, pop and sherry and he is bursting for the toilet!! But every time he tries to go in someone else’s house, he seems to wake up a child, who then gets up and shouts “has he been?!” All across the world, the story is the same and Santa cannot wait to get home to the North Pole to use the toilet in his house.
With a laugh out loud ending, this rhyming romp of a seasonal sensation is an absolute chortle-fest. It really will have you and your little ones bursting (pun intended) with laughter! The illustrations are bold, bright and beautiful and will have your children giggling along with the story in delight. Fresh, fun and fizzing with festivity, this is a perfect picture book for any child who loves to laugh.
- Rowland, Lucy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages - 10/10/2024 (Publication Date) - Scholastic (Publisher)
Yetis Don’t Exist – Kate Thompson (author), Loretta Schauer (illustrator), Templar Books (publisher)
Well, hasn’t this book just got the most adorable cover, flecked with gorgeous silver foil detailing?!
We’ve all heard the news, right?! We all know that yetis are just a myth. They don’t exist. Of course they don’t. But when the news of their non-existence travels all the way to the ice-capped mountains, Iggy the yeti and his yeti friends are rather perplexed! They feel real. They look real. So why don’t humans think that they are real?! There’s nothing to be done other than go off in search of the humans and try to change their minds. But when the adorable furry yetis go off in search of the humans, there are no humans to be found!!! Surely, that can only mean one thing….?!
We adored this fun, sweet rhyming read of a book. It’s beautifully illustrated with the most vibrant colours and the cutest of yeti-folk. It’s funny (we love the ending), it’s sweet and it is the perfect story to snuggle down under the duvet with. A gorgeous gift for the winter season.
- New Store Stock
- Thompson, Kate (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages - 11/07/2024 (Publication Date) - Templar Books (Publisher)
Bunnies in a Sleigh – Philip Ardagh (author), Ben Mantle (illustrator), Walker Books Ltd (publisher)
Uh-oh!! The elves have been rather greedy eating the sweet treats and are feeling too poorly to help Santa out in the sleigh. But, never fear, the Bunnies are here!
“Bunnies in a sleigh! Bunnies in a sleigh! Laughing and a-joking as they head for Christmas Day!”
Your little ones can join the bunnies in the fun of Christmas as they turn the pages of this festively fun book and watch the bunnies in their chaotic Christmas caper! They just about avoid Big Ben but the poor old Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square takes a hit instead!! Will they manage to help Father Christmas stuff all the stockings with presents in time?
This funny, rhyming romp of a picture book is just made to be read aloud round a cosy fire as your little ones pore over the details of the beautifully colourful pages. The catchy refrain and the rhyming text will ensure that this book remains a favourite with your little picture book lover. And the illustrations! Oh, the illustrations are just adorable: filled with humour, detail and vibrant fun. A sensational stocking filler for your little one.
- New Store Stock
- Ardagh, Philip (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages - 10/03/2024 (Publication Date) - Walker Books (Publisher)
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? – Mac Barnett (author), Jon Klassen (illustrator), Walker Books Ltd (publisher)
Practically every child in the world who celebrates Christmas must have pondered this question at least once in their lives! How does Santa get down the chimney. Well…. Nobody really knows. And that’s part of the magic. But this brilliant beauty of a book sets out some interesting ideas….
Maybe he shrinks himself down, or stretches himself out? Does he ever get stuck and need a reindeer to give him a shove? Surely he gets covered in soot? Why don’t the dogs bark at him? And what if you don’t have a chimney? What happens then? And how on earth does he ever get back up the chimney?!
So many fabulously fun ideas are contained in this magically festive story. It fizzes with excitement and questions and provides all sorts of possibilities whilst maintaining that all-important sense of magic. The illustrations are stunning and laugh out loud funny, adding to the humour and fun of the text. Simple yet innovative, filled with quirky illustrations in stark colour-tones, this book is a real giggle inducer of a story and would be a brilliant addition to any Christmas collection of books for any little reader.
- New Store Stock
- Barnett, Mac (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages - 10/03/2024 (Publication Date) - Walker Books (Publisher)
King Winter’s Birthday – Jonathan Freedland (author – inspired by the story by Ulrich A. Boschwitz), Emily Sutton (illustrator), Pushkin Press (publisher)
Oh my! What an exquisite, heart-wrencher of a story. And it is an absolute visual delight with the most stunning illustrations.
It’s King Winter’s birthday and all he really wants is to celebrate it with his sisters and brothers. For one special day. So King Summer, Queen Spring and Queen Autumn all make the journey to the Winter Palace. But the leaves whisper a warning. The four seasons are not meant to all be together at once. And as they play party games, strange things begin to happen outside in nature….
Inspired by a story from Jewish-German author Ulrich A. Boschwitz, written while he was interned in a camp on the Isle of Man during WWII, this story is a poignant and beautiful tale about the inexorability of the seasons of nature and its timeless rhythms, even in the face of human chaos and anarchy. The undertones about not being able to be with your loved ones might be lost on younger readers but the beauty of the tale will not.
Exquisitely illustrated using detailed and vibrant spreads, this is one magical story which will cast its wintry spell over you and not let go. An absolutely amazing story with a fascinating insight into the tragic life of Ulrich A. Boschwitz at the back of the book. We love it.
- New Store Stock
- Hardcover Book
- Freedland, Jonathan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages - 11/14/2024 (Publication Date) - Pushkin Children's Books (Publisher)
The Snow Thief – Alice Hemming (author), Nicola Slater (illustrator), Scholastic (publisher)
One of our all-time favourite autumnal books is The Leaf Thief by this riotously fun author/illustrator duo so we could not wait to turn the pages of this seasonal story!
You see, poor old Squirrel has only just got used to the leaves having been stolen when he has to try wrap his little furry head around what the weird wet white stuff is on the ground!? And why is it freezing his feet? And, more than anything, who has nabbed his stash of hazelnuts?
There must be a snow thief about. That snow squirrel is looking decidedly suspicious and, despite all the fun things there are to do in the snow, Squirrel is just not happy about it. Can he figure out what is going on before the snow all melts again?! Your little one can join Squirrel and Bird on this fantastically fun festive tale about the changing of the seasons. We love the long-suffering character of Bird and we laugh out loud at Squirrel’s antics. We also love the two-page spread at the back of the book explaining all about ice, snow and the colder temperatures.
Right from the colourful silver-foiled front cover, the illustrations are characteristically humorous and filled with fun and cuteness. A book which will be sure to steal your heart this winter.
- New Store Stock
- Hemming, Alice (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages - 10/10/2024 (Publication Date) - Scholastic (Publisher)
Christmas at Hogwarts (from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling) – Ziyi Gao (illustrator), Bloomsbury Children’s Books (publisher)
If I am honest, chapter 12, also known as the “Christmas” chapter, is my favourite part of the whole of the Harry Potter series of books. It’s the part where wonderful wizardry meets the magic of the festive season to create one joyful bundle of festive fizz and fun. There’s knitted jumpers, Christmas trees, chocolate and roaring fires, as well as waist-band popping mountains of delicious food and much merriment. And it’s all contained here in this stunningly illustrated book.
If your child isn’t quite ready for the whole story of Harry Potter yet, or they are absolutely captivated by the magical world he lives in then this is the keepsake stocking filler just for them! With text taken directly from the first book, this cracking Christmas is captured in full artistic glory for everyone to enjoy. It would make a gorgeous book to read around the fire the night before Christmas so that the whole family could bask in the warmth, friendship and joy of the season.
The artwork by Ziyi Gao is sublime and really brings to life the magic, love and joy of this first Christmas that Harry has enjoyed. It’s sure to be a book that your child will enjoy for years to come. Like a mince pie on a cold, wintry day, it will warm you up and lift your heart.
- New Store Stock
- Hardcover Book
- Rowling, J.K. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 48 Pages - 10/15/2024 (Publication Date) - Bloomsbury Children's Books (Publisher)
Santa Needs a New Bum – Dawn McMillan (author), Ross Kinnaird (illustrator), Scholastic (publisher)
Excitement is in the air, the carrots are being peeled, food is being cooked and the house is being decorated because the whole family loves Christmas. So, when an unexpected visitor flies into the garden, everyone is astounded… it’s Santa. But instead of being all jolly, poor Santa has a problem – his bum is ill-fitting from all of the sitting! While the extended family all try and help Santa with his seat, our hero asks his Grandma for help because he has an idea how to save Santa’s derrière!
This is a colourful, rhyming romp of a festive picture book filled with the kindness and magic of the season. The illustrations are brimming with detail and vibrant colour and we also adore the use of colour in the text of the story too – it reminds us of twinkling Christmas lights. It’s a story which is made to be read aloud as the rhyming words trip off the tongue and your reader is carried through the story on a tide of family togetherness, warmth, kindness and love. A funny and sweet seasonal read which is sure to tickle your little one.
- New Store Stock
- McMillan, Dawn (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages - 10/10/2024 (Publication Date) - Scholastic (Publisher)
Mr Santa – Jarvis (author and illustrator), Walker Books Ltd (publisher)
If you are anything like us and you love a book by Jarvis then this is just the festive beauty to treat your little one to this year!
And for the child who has infinitesimal questions (and the parent with only some of the answers!) this is a wonderful read at this time of the year. “Mr Santa, is your belly button inny or out? … Are you older than my great uncle Fred? What’s your favourite colour, Mr Santa? Is it red? …” These are just some of the questions that my children have loved reading in the book.
With its spreads of exquisitely beautiful illustrations and rhyming text, this is a beautiful, lyrical story with sparkles of magic and humour which you are sure to enjoy time and time again with your little one.
- New Store Stock
- Hardcover Book
- Jarvis (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages - 10/03/2024 (Publication Date) - Walker Books (Publisher)
Chapter books
Lola and Larch Make A Winter Wish – Sinead O’Hart (author), Rachel Seago (illustrator), Nosy Crow Ltd (publisher)
The sweet and magical Lola and Larch best friend team are back for their third adventure. And this one’s a fun, wintry one!
Larch is rather grumpy with Lola. She doesn’t think Lola takes what life is like as a fairy very seriously and she is cross that humans seem to think that being a fairy is all sparkles and twinkling rainbows! So when Larch makes a wish on Midwinter’s night, she might come to regret it….. the best friends wake up the next morning to find out that they are trapped in each other’s bodies! Lola has to learn how to fly and Larch has to try and act like a “normal” human being at Lola’s Christmas Concert!! Comic catastrophe is bound to ensue. But to top it all off, the evil Euphorbia Spurge has definitely not been taking any festive fun pills because she is wickedly seizing on the opportunity to take advantage of the body swap. Will the two best friends ever manage to change back so they can enjoy the jollity of the season?
This is such a sweet and warm chapter book. I love the magic and humour of this story and we have particularly enjoyed the gorgeous black and white illustrations showcasing the winter wonderland in the story and putting us in the festive spirit. Filled with imaginative fairy fun, and fizzing with festive magical adventure, it is a wonderful early chapter book for those aged 6 plus.
- New Store Stock
- O'Hart, Sinéad (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 128 Pages - 10/24/2024 (Publication Date) - Nosy Crow Ltd (Publisher)
The Arctic Fox – Holly Webb (author), David Dean (illustrator), Little Tiger (publisher)
You will just want to reach out and touch this gorgeously illustrated book cover when you see it. It is truly stunning!!
Books by Holly Webb are always a favourite in our house because her writing really got my eldest daughter to love reading!
Ellie is beyond excited to be going to Lapland just before Christmas. She can’t wait to see Father Christmas and hopefully get to experience the Northern Lights. But what she really wants more than anything is to see the stunning but shy Arctic foxes that live there, although she knows they are incredibly rare because they have been hunted so much.
One night on holiday though, Ellie goes out on a magical adventure across the frozen landscape to rescue an Arctic fox stuck in a trap. Ellie is determined to rescue her but she can’t understand how she knows what to do, and why she feels like she is in another body in another place in time…. Will Ellie rescue the fox and will the winter wonderland spill its magic and secrets to her?
This book gave me all the feels and had me reminiscing wildly about our fabulous trip to Lapland last year. It is such a beautiful, gentle wintry story which would be a perfect present for any little animal lover. There are facts contained within it and the illustrations are adorable: black and white beauties of snowy landscapes and winter animals cover the pages. A gorgeous gift.
- New Store Stock
- Webb, Holly (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 160 Pages - 10/03/2024 (Publication Date) - Little Tiger (Publisher)
Middle Grade Books
The Christmas Wish-tastrophe – Cariad Lloyd (author), Ma Pe (illustrator), Hodder Children’s Books (publisher)
Any book which starts with a dedication from Pride & Prejudice is always going to be a winner in my eyes! You see, P&P is one of my all-time favourite books (I even had a P&P themed hen do, but the less said about that, the better!!). And this book is just so magical and filled with P&P reminiscences that my heart just wants to burst!
Lydia Marmalade lives in 1812, in an age before cars, central heating and the internet 😱. Her mother has passed away and one winter’s evening, she is sent away to live with the austere Lady Partridge at her grand mansion, Peppomberley. She has no possessions with her other than her cheeky sausage dog Colin (whom she was explicitly told not to bring) but she is determined to make the best of the situation. Lady Partridge, however, is a rather hard lady to impress and she is less than keen on inviting Lydia to become part of the family. Lydia must be on her best behaviour if she wants to stay in the house and not be cast out to the workhouse. But mischief seems to follow Lydia wherever she goes… and when she makes a wish on a winter sprite on the most magical night of the year, things are only going to become more chaotic for Lydia…. She misses her mother so much, she just wants to see her again but that’s just not possible. With her new friends Bertie, the stable hand, Bel the mischievous sprite, Harriet the cook, and of course the greedy Colin, Lydia has some mysteries to solve if she is ever going to make her wish come true… or will it really be the biggest wish-tastrophe ever?
Full of heart, friendship, humour and magic, my eldest daughter and I absolutely adored this Christmas cracker. Yes, it’s a fun, page-turner of a story, assisted by the gorgeous black and white illustrations throughout which really bring the wonder of the story to life, but it is also a book which is not afraid to touch on the difficult themes of loss, grief, and displacement. It deals with those themes in such a heartfelt and sensitive way (and even details some helpful resources at the back of the book) that any children going through such difficult times will be sure to be reassured. It’s not a sad book at all though- far from it; it’s stuffed like a stocking with joy, laugh out loud moments, love and friendship and it will warm your heart like a hot chocolate on a freezing cold day. A true Christmas Sparkler.
- Hardcover Book
- Lloyd, Cariad (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 304 Pages - 10/10/2024 (Publication Date) - Hodder Children's Books (Publisher)
Maisie vs Antartica – Jack Jackman (author), Nosy Crow Ltd (publisher)
Original and clever, I raced through this wintery adventure in Antarctica.
Maisie loves writing stories about heroes and adventures – perhaps she gets her flair from her father who also writes books. Or maybe not…. His books all start with “How to…. “Wrestle a crocodile, Defuse a Bomb … you get the picture. His latest book is all about how to survive in Antarctica and when Maisie persuades him to take her on his research trip, little does she realise that she is going to have the most epic and surprising adventure of her life!
She might start to realise that when the plane they are on crash lands in Antarctica, or when her Dad saves her from being supper for a leopard seal, or when her Dad makes an epic journey across ice and snow…..What she does realise though is that there is definitely something going on with her Dad- he really has something to hide. Weird things seem to happen when he’s around though. But Maisie’s Dad is the most boring man on the planet. Isn’t he?!
What a page-turner of a book. Your young adventure-seekers will fly through the pages of this icy adventure. It’s a story which is filled with humour, excitement, surprise and intrigue and it will grip the most intrepid of explorers. It’s got a brilliant twist (but I am not spoiling that for you!) and we loved the writing style. We also loved the question and answers about the author at the back of the book. We can’t wait for the second in the series.
- New Store Stock
- Jack Jackman (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 272 Pages - 09/26/2024 (Publication Date) - Nosy Crow Ltd (Publisher)
The Snowman Code – Simon Stevenson (author), Reggie Brown (illustrator), HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (publishers)
Don’t be fooled, this book is not all sweet snowmen and Christmas cheer! But it WILL melt your heart. And I am not going to lie: I definitely shed a tear or two!
They say that the weather is broken because Winter has gone on forever this year. And ten and a half year old Blessing doesn’t really like Winter because her Mum gets very sad. She just wishes Winter would be over so that her Mum can get better and Blessing won’t get taken away again. One day, as she is skiving off school, Blessing meets six hundred winters year old Albert Framlington. Albert just happens to be a snowman. And not a very good snowman at that! He’s got bottle-top eyes and a potato nose but he does have a big heart. And some rather strange ideas! Together, Blessing and Albert form a unique friendship, bound by the bonds of The Snowman Code (you’ll have to read the book to find out what this is!). The friends will have adventures all across snow-filled London as they try and defeat Blessing’s trio of bullies, find Albert’s long-lost girlfriend, Clementine, and even try to bring about an end to this winter that shows no signs of ceasing. But we all know what happens when the weather warms up and a snowman begins to melt ….
The good news is that it is always snowing somewhere in the world so, somewhere, a child is always building a snowman!
Gosh, this marvellous middle-grade tugged on my heart strings. I will be honest, I was expecting a nice, fluffy, warm Christmas read and so this book surprised me by being so much more than that! It’s packed with gritty themes such as adult/parental mental health, bullying and child carers and yet it is also laugh out loud funny, heartwarming and ultimately uplifting. I adored Albert and his eccentricities and my heart went out to Blessing. This has the makings of a Christmas classic. A book to snuggle up with on a cosy Winter’s night. Magical.
- New Store Stock
- Hardcover Book
- Stephenson, Simon (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 288 Pages - 10/10/2024 (Publication Date) - HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks (Publisher)
Sprouts – Sibéal Pounder (author), Bloomsbury Children’s Books (publisher)
We absolutely adored Tinsel: The Girls Who Invented Christmas so we were so excited to review this hardback book with itsgorgeously festive dust-jacket.
Take a sleigh-ride into the future. It’s 4024 and Christmas is all day, every day. Santa rules the world. There are holographic elves to grant your daily wishes, all food is of the candy cane variety and travel is by flying sleigh. Does that sound good to you?
Not everyone gets to join in the daily merriment though. The witches of the world have been banished to the Mince Pie Isles and Christmas comes for them but once a year. Gryla Garland comes from a long line of witches and she longs for more festive spirit on the Isles…. When Merrilee Clause comes crashing into her life, she realises that she might just have wished for more than she bargained for! The daughter of Santa Clause has a sackful of adventure planned for them to save the real spirit of Christmas. Can the two girls manage it? And what has that got to do with sprouts?!
This was a fun, quick, page-turner of a story which we read in one day. We loved how clever it was – taking the idea that practically every child who celebrates Christmas has ever asked- “Why can’t it be Christmas every day?!”- and putting that into an ingeniously funny story. It positively fizzes with festive spirit and it would make a wonderful stocking filler or Christmas Eve book to fill your children with the heartwarming magic of Christmas and the real meaning of the celebrations.
- New Store Stock
- Hardcover Book
- Pounder, Sibéal (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages - 09/26/2024 (Publication Date) - Bloomsbury Children's Books (Publisher)
Murder at Wintertide – Fleur Hitchcock (author), Nosy Crow Limited (publisher)
Who doesn’t love a frost-filled murder mystery book?!
George is celebrating Christmas by the coast with his family. But when he sees some strange lights on top of the cliff-edge and then a body washes up on the beach, George knows that he won’t be able to rest until he discovers what’s been going on. With the help of his cousin Isla, he follows clues along the way and, as more bodies appear, the pair embroil themselves deeper and deeper into danger. Somebody wants to stop them in their investigations – on land or sea, they are definitely after them. Could it have something to do with the local legends in the area? And what does that have to do with the archaeological dig at the top of the cliff? One thing’s for sure, someone is not at all comfortable with the cousins’ enquiries … and that someone might be closer to home then they realise!
Filled with suspense and intrigue, this was a gripping page turner of a murder mystery which I was fully invested in. I did guess the murderer but not how they were involved and I loved the setting of the story and the interweaving of local legends and myths. I also liked how it deals with themes of extended and blended families sensitively and I love the author’s writing style – I could truly feel myself on the freezing, snowy beaches in winter. A true Christmas cracker of a crime novel.
- New Store Stock
- Fleur Hitchcock (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 304 Pages - 10/10/2024 (Publication Date) - Nosy Crow (Publisher)
Classics
A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens (author), Design Eye (imprint of Quarto) (publisher)
Well, ok, yes, we all know the story of Scrooge and his ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, but you will never have come across it in this way before!
Create the most exquisite Christmas keepsake with this glorious edition of Charles’ Dickens iconic festive book by turning the pages of this classic story into an artistic paper Christmas tree. As your reader finishes each page, simply fold along the marked lines where indicated and this book will turn into a stunning paper fir tree. And, don’t worry, if you are unsure, there are some pages providing instructions on how to fold your terrific tree if you get stuck. It’s also an inbuilt and ingenious way to bookmark your progress through this Victorian classic.
This is such a beautiful book on the outside – with its exquisite illustrations and gold-foiled detailing – and the inside – with its beautiful green and white detailed pages and atmospheric black and white illustrations . Enjoy this heartwarming story and turn it into a marvellous masterpiece to keep for Christmases to come! Ingenious.
- New Store Stock
- Hardcover Book
- Dickens, Charles (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 288 Pages - 11/14/2024 (Publication Date) - Design Eye (Publisher)
Puzzle books
Cluedle: the Case of Rudolph’ s Revenge- Hartigan Browne (author and puzzle master), Macmillan Children’s Books (publisher)
Well, here‘s a Christmas cracker of a set of marvellous mystery puzzles to keep your child entertained throughout the festive period. If you have a code-breaking super-sleuth at home then be sure to buy them a copy of the latest in this fabulous series of puzzle books and let them loose on it! Can they work out Cluedunnit?!
Detective Hartigan Browne has a bumper of a new case for your little puzzler to investigate. Can they pass the first test and work out how many legs are received over the twelve days of Christmas? Will they manage to figure out what the jingle bells has gone on at Mistlehurst Hall when they investigate the death of Lord Rudolph Hollygrove-Winterton (what a mouthful!) and solve his Christmas Treasure Hunt? Cleverly set out in chapters like the twelve days of Christmas song, your budding detective can grab a pencil and sharpen their wits to put their sleuthing skills to the test and try to crack the codes, cipher the clues, navigate the maps and examine the evidence to solve the curious case of Rudolph’s revenge. With 80 cracking Christmas puzzles to solve, do you think you know someone who is up to the challenge?
My eldest daughter has ADORED the other books in this series so she will be so excited about this seasonal , super-sleuthing mystery. With a festive green, red and gold cover and 80 marvellous mystery puzzles to solve, this book is educational as well as fun: those brain cells really get working through the different puzzles in the book – spatial reasoning, map skills, su doku, logic, patterns, code cracking, verbal reasoning, comprehension skills and so much more. Hartigan Browne’s writing style is hilarious and will keep your child engaged for hours. It’s a brilliant, brain-buster of a book and the perfect present for mystery fans everywhere.
- New Store Stock
- Browne, Hartigan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 368 Pages - 10/10/2024 (Publication Date) - Macmillan Children's Books (Publisher)
