Christmas Picture Books 2021

Christmas time is here again, and as always, I am delighted to recommend two books to read over the holidays. One is a sequel to a book I previously reviewed and one has recently been reissued.

Title: How Winston Came Home For Christmas.
Author/Illustrator: Alex T. Smith.
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books.
Published: 2021.
Format: Hardback.
Source: Own copy.

I adored the previous book in the Winston series, and so I was very excited when the sequel was released this year. Like Winston's first adventure, this comes in the same format of 24 and a half chapters to read each day, along with some new festive activities to keep you busy.

It's getting closer to Christmas, and Winston is already enjoying time with his new friend Oliver. However, he cannot help but have strange flashbacks to a Christmas long ago, and he cannot help but feel that somebody else is missing from his life. And so he sets off on another adventure to find this somebody, this time around Europe. All of the characters you loved from the previous book make their return, but there are some new companions there to help Winston on his journey of self-discovery, ranging from the pampered yet adventure-seeking poodle Gaspard to the shy and nervous fox Heinz.

The story is incredibly heartwarming and the activities just as fun as the first book's set. If you had read and enjoyed the first Winston book, this is definitely worth getting.

Title: Jingle Bells.
Author/Illustrator: Nick Butterworth.
Publisher: HarperCollins.
Published: 1998.
Format: Hardback.
Source: Own copy.

I have always been a fan of the Percy the Park Keeper books and I was extra lucky to see their creator Nick Butterworth discuss his work at the 2019 Wimbledon Book Festival. This is another one of his books I greatly enjoyed, and it has been re-published in paperback this year.

The book concerns two mice with a problem - they want to enjoy Christmas but are constantly being terrorised by the mean cat Angus. Luckily, they have a plan which involves...well, I won't spoil it, but there's a reason for the title. I greatly enjoyed this story when I was younger and I still enjoy it now, both for the humour and the memorable characters. Whether you are a Percy fan like me or are new to Butterworth's books, this is one Christmas story you shouldn't miss out on.

That does it for another year of reviewing wonderful Christmas books. I hope you all have a happy Christmas and find a good read for the holidays, whether it be one of the books I recommended or maybe even something different.

Christmas Picture Book Reviews 2020

2020 has certainly been a chaotic year for many, with this Christmas season in particularly having to be done differently to usual. I have found that having a good book to read always helps during these stressful times and these Christmas books will certainly help to make your Christmas a little brighter. This time I will be reviewing one classic, one brand new book and one that features a character beloved by many.

Title: The Polar Express.
Author/Illustrator: Chris van Allsburg.
Publisher: Anderson Press.
Published: 1985.
Format: Paperback.
Source: My own copy.

I was very lucky to be able to watch Chris van Allsburg talk recently, as well as receive a signed copy of the 35th anniversary version of The Polar Express, one of his most famous books. The story tells of a young boy who boards a train one night to the North Pole, with other children joining him and a breathtaking view of the sights around. When the children arrive at Santa's place, one of them will receive the first gift of the year.

This is a magical yet poignant tale of the power of belief, and is vastly superior to the film adaptation of it. It comes complete with the beautiful photorealistic illustrations that Allsburg is renowned for, all mixed with a magical adventure. The descriptions of the sights that the children see, as well as the fact that they receive hot chocolate and get to sing Christmas carols, really made me want to ride the Polar Express itself! Definitely a classic worth checking out.

Title: The Twelve Days Of Christmas or Grandma is Overly Generous.

Author/Illustrator: Alex T. Smith.
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books.
Published: 2020.
Format: Hardback.
Source: My own copy.

A very humorous take on The Twelve Days Of Christmas. Eloise's grandma is very generous...a little too generous. As the days go by, her gifts for Eloise keep on increasing and, whilst the book starts off in the same way as the original poem, it takes an entirely original turn once it gets to the seventh day. Eloise's reactions are mixed - sometimes she's delighted and sometimes she's unsure whether these gifts are what she really wants. And the twelfth provides the biggest surprise of them all...

I got a good chuckle from the humorous and often surprising situations that Eloise finds herself in, with the trademark illustrations of Alex T. Smith really adding to them. I also loved the Edwardian touch to Eloise and her grandmother's outfits as a reference to when the original was first published. Like Smith's other Christmas book I reviewed last year, How Winston Delivered Christmas, this is a perfect read for Christmas time and a particularly funny one at that too.

Title: Winnie and Wilbur Meet Santa.Author: Valerie Thomas.
Illustrator: Korky Paul.
Publisher: Oxford University Press.
Published: 2016.
Format: Hardback.
Source: My own copy.

I've always enjoyed the antics of Winnie the Witch and her cat Wilbur. This time, her adventures see her having to help out Santa after he got stuck in her chimney. Now he needs her help in delivering the presents to the children in time. As always with Winnie and Wilbur, things don't go so smoothly...

For those who know about this series, you will be pleased to know that this book is complete with the same slapstick and zany antics that Winnie and Wilbur are known and loved for, topped off with the irreverent and humorous illustrations of Korky Paul. But it's the added bonuses exclusive to this book that really make it stand out. From the endpages featuring drawings of the characters from children who love these stories to the pop-up features at the end of the book, this is definitely a Christmas treat worth having.

How Winston Delivered Christmas

Title: How Winston Delivered Christmas.

Author/Illustrator: Alex T. Smith.

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books.

Published: 2018.

Format: Hardback.

Source: Own copy.

For my Christmas blog post this year, I review How Winston Delivered Christmas, a book that I received just after Christmas last year but have enjoyed reading in full this year. It is an entertaining and heartwarming story that demonstrates the importance of helping others and showing acts of kindness, no matter how small.

The story follows Winston, a young mouse who has always been looking for a place to call home. One Christmas Eve, he discovers a mislaid Christmas letter addressed to Father Christmas, and he makes it his job to get the letter delivered in time before Christmas Day. Along the way, he meets up with a variety of different characters who become his new friends and help him in his quest in many different ways. 

There are twenty-five chapters overall, each accompanying a different day of Advent. Each chapter is short and easy to read, yet enjoyable and fun at the same time. The book is filled with beautiful illustrations that perfectly add to the mood of each different chapter.

What makes this book stand out from other Christmas stories is that after each chapter, there are activities to try out at home, such as baking Christmas food and making decorations. Some of them are tied into the theme of the chapter that they accompany. Though I wasn't able to do all of them this year, I was able to complete many and had a lot of fun in the process! One other feature that I love is a list at the end of traditions that other countries have in celebrating Christmas.

This is a story with a well-written and diverse cast of characters along with plenty of humour and warmth (and a bit of suspense as well!). You will be rooting for the lovable Winston to succeed in his quest. I highly recommend this to people of all ages, and I promise that grown-ups will not be considered too old to join in with some of the activities too!

Poetry Books

As it is National Poetry Day I thought I would include a few reviews of books that I like. I love reading poetry and read a poem every night before I go to bed.

Title: A Great Big Cuddle
Author: Michael Rosen
Illustrator: Chris Riddell
Publisher: Walker
Date of Publication: September 2015
Format: Hardback
Source: My own copy

This book involves poems written by former children’s laureate Michael Rosen and illustrated by current children’s laureate Chris Riddell. It is designed for especially young children and so features poems that are easy to read and fun to participate with such as “The Button Bop” and “Hello Goodbye”. The poems feature a lot of repetition that very young children will appreciate and there are funny poems as well as more deep and meaningful ones that will appeal to all ages. These poems encourage the child to join in when they are read aloud and will inspire a life-long love of poetry.

All of the poems are simplistic yet entertaining at the same time, and the light-hearted illustrations that Riddell provides match them very well. The characters that appear on each page, such as the multi-coloured monkeys in “Hello Goodbye”, will appeal to children and their parents as well. The design and layout of the book is excellent and the colours and fonts help the poems and pictures to stand out. Overall, this is a must-have for young children and their parents, as well as anyone who likes to have a fun poem to read aloud and join in with.

Title: Read Me... series
Author: Gaby Morgan, Louise Bolongara, Nick Toczek and Paul Cookson
Illustrator: Georgie Ripper
Publisher: Macmillan
Date of publication: Various
Format: Paperback
Source: My own copies

The “Read Me…” series is designed with schools in mind and each collection features 366 poems, one for every day of the year. The first two books are “Read Me 1” and “Read Me 2”, but now other books have been released for the series that explore different types of poems. For example, “Read Me First” includes poems designed for younger children, “Read Me And Laugh” includes funny poems and “Read Me Out Loud!” includes poems that can be read out by one or more persons.

All of the poetry collections feature a variety of poems from old to new in many different forms. The collections include works by well known and less well known poets as well as many by anonymous authors. The poems included are engaging and will appeal to different people whether they are old and young. I feel that it’s also a treat to have a different poem to read every day. It gives the reader a chance to discover different poets and styles and will inspire them to search out more of the same elsewhere. Additionally, there are illustrations by Georgie Ripper included in “Read Me First” that children will love for their appealing nature. For these reasons, these books are a must-have for schools, families and people who just like to have a good poem to read everyday.