The Christmas Pine
By Julia Donaldson and Victoria Sandøy (illustrator). Alison Green Books (£6.49 hardcover)
Deep in a snowy Norwegian forest stands a little pine tree with a special destiny: when it grows up, it’s going to be a very famous Christmas tree! Told in Donaldson’s usual rhyming style, this is a perfect book for reading aloud, with the final page telling the true story of the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, which sees the mayor of Oslo presenting the British people with an enormous Norway Spruce every year as a symbol of peace and friendship and as a thank you for British support during World War Two.
Santa’s New Sleigh
By Caroline Crowe and Jess Pauwels (illustrator). Faber (£5.99)
When Santa’s sleigh stops working on Christmas Eve, the elves all rally round to help. Will they find a way to deliver the presents in time?
If you’re looking for a picture book that shows the importance of team work, and the benefits of not giving up and having a go, this is the perfect choice. The premise of the story is quite familiar: Santa is all ready to start his Christmas Eve journey delivering presents when he finds the engine back-up on his sleigh has broken down, resulting in much panic among the elves. What makes this book stand out from other similar picture books is the genuinely funny rhyming text, and there is a big green message too.
Mr Badger’s Christmas Wish
By Lily Murray and Julia Woolf (illustrator). Macmillan Children’s Books (£5.99)
Grumpy characters are a real favourite of young children, and this book has a good one in the form of Mr. Badger. He is the only miserable character among a whole woodland full of excited little creatures. Can one little fox cub help badger fall in love with the magic of Christmas?
This is a great Christmas lift-the-flap, interactive rhyming book for younger pre-schoolers.
We all Celebrate!
By Chitra Soundar and Jenny Bloomfield (illustrator). Tiny Owl (£12.99, Amazon)
This is a picture book bursting with colour, which leads children in a celebration of world traditions from Diwali to Chinese New Year. It is worth having for the lovely section on Christmas celebrations alone, and makes looking at world celebrations exciting, encouraging you to turn the page and learn more, with illustrations full of life.
I looked at this book with a three- and a four-year-old and they especially loved the end papers, which we used as an I-spy game.
How Winston Came Home for Christmas
By Alex T. Smith. Macmillan Children’s Books (£10.99)
It’s five days until Christmas and Winston the mouse has a mystery to solve. Determined to get back in time to spend Christmas with his new family no matter what, Winston sets out on an exciting round-the-world adventure to find a missing mouse he has hazy memories of, and whom he feels needs rescuing. True friends both old and new help Winston unravel this festive mystery and get him back home in time for Christmas. Written in the form of 24-and-a-half chapters, this is a great run-up to Christmas.
Greg the Sausage Roll: Santa’s Little Helper
By Mark and Roxanne Hoyle and Gareth Conway (illustrator). Puffin (£5.49 hardcover)
‘The tinsel is up in the bakery; the lights are twinkling and the mince pies are sold out. It’s CHRISTMAS EVE! Greg the Sausage Roll is so excited he could burst.’ And when he is scooped up as a last-minute treat for Santa, Greg finds himself at the heart of a real Christmas adventure. The authors, Mark and Roxanne Hoyle, also known as popular social media personalities ‘LadBaby’, have a real talent for tapping into current interests and what really makes children laugh. A good book to use for looking at the characters and objects we associate with Christmas.
