Christmas Classics

As Christmas Day approaches, we all love to read books to get ourselves into the spirit of the holidays. These three books are well-loved classics and I always like to read them during this time of year.

 

 

Title: A Christmas Carol

Author: Charles Dickens
Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Publisher: Pavilion Children's Books
Published: 2008
Format: Hardback
Source: My own copy

This book is already a Christmas classic, but this beautiful edition with Quentin Blake's illustrations is a definite favourite of mine. A lot of people find Dickens hard to read but this story is shorter than most of his other novels. Additionally, the lively pictures make the tale easy to follow and help to introduce children to his novels. In this story, the cynical miser Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve and learns the true meaning of Christmas: embracing the spirit of it and giving to the less fortunate. There is a wide variety of memorable characters including Scrooge himself and the innocent Tiny Tim to whom he gradually becomes closer, eventually becoming like a second father.

 

 

Title: Eloise at Christmastime

Author: Kay Thompson
Illustrator: Hilary Knight
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 1999
Format: Hardback
Source: My own copy

This lively and vibrant book tells the story of Eloise, a lively young girl who lives in a hotel with her nanny and how she is getting into the spirit of the Christmas holidays. The story is told in rhyme with a recurring musical theme throughout and the pictures are full of energy, with the simplistic colour palette of red, black and white making them stand out. The cast itself is also memorable and endearing, with other characters such as the Nanny, Eloise's pets and the friends who live inside and outside the hotel celebrating with the protagonist. This has to be my favourite instalment in the classic Eloise series.

Title: The Night Before Christmas

Author: Clement C Moore
Illustrator: Arthur Rackham
Publisher: Chancellor Press
Published: 1985
Format: Hardback
Source: My own copy

Originally called “A Visit From Saint Nicholas”, this classic narrative poem tells the story of a father who witnesses Father Christmas visit his family home on Christmas Eve. The event is described in full detail, with vibrant descriptions of Father Christmas himself and what he does upon arriving at the house. The rhyming makes the poem fun to read and its fast pace perfectly matches the lively mood of Christmas. I especially recommend the edition with illustrations by Arthur Rackham or the pop-up retelling by Robert Sabuda.

Title: The Night Before Christmas

Author: Clement C Moore
Illustrator: Robert Sabuda
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2002
Format: Hardback
Source: My own copy