Books for Giving Christmas 2016
Christmas is coming and the displays on the tables and in the windows of bookshops are piled high as publishers jostle for space, vying to catch the eye. Picture books, novelty books, activity books, information books. What to choose? What to give? Books for Keeps editor Ferelith Hordon makes suggestions.
Setting the scene – books for the season There’s a host of books reflecting the anticipation, the fun, the glitter, the potential for chaos that is so much part of Christmas, and familiarity often brings enjoyment. Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is the classic and now available in an elegant and attractive edition beautifully illustrated by Alan Marks. You can cuddle up with Elmer’s Christmas – satisfying board pages, bright colours, glitter and Elmer; join Santa as he takes the Queen for a ride searching for the perfect present in The Queen’s Present from Steve Anthony; or become part of the magic in Ollie’s Christmas Reindeer as Nicola Killen enchants with soft monochrome illustrations. Children will laugh aloud with Korky Paul in Winnie and Wilbur meet Santa – complete with a pop-up surprise at the end. There is more laughter as Mouse tries to cancel the season in The Mouse that Cancelled Christmas by Madeleine Cook and Samara Hardy, and more still as the inimitable Claude helps out in Santa Claude.
Picture Books to give
Books are among the best gifts for the youngest offering the opportunity for sharing and play. Can You Keep a Straight Face? is a fun board book for little hands. Sumptuous colours, alliterative text that rolls off the tongue, One Cheetah, One Cherry: A book of beautiful numbers from Jackie Morris is a book to treasure, while Some Birds is another stunning visual treat, full of humour as Matt Spink’s stylised, colourful birds swoop, flap or even go pop across the pages. In A Dot in the Snow by Corrinne Averiss, beautifully illustrated by Fiona Woodcock captures the essence of friendship while The Liszts with its punning title, text and arresting illustrations is something different and enormous fun as the author, Kyo Maclear and illustrator Julia Sarda, play on the absurdity of lists. A Bottle of Happiness is written by Pippa Goodhart, her story stunningly reflected in the lively illustrations by the Iranian artist, Ensan Abdollahi. Different again, A Day with Dogs by Dorothée de Monfreid has no text to contend with but so much to explore and talk about.
Time for a story In A Year Full of Stories Angela McAllister has collected 52 tales from across cultures, both well known, and unfamiliar, all a delight with illustrations by Christopher Corr bursting from the pages. Winter Magic is a lovely collection of original tales from a galaxy of favourite authors as Michelle Magorian, Piers Torday and Berlie Doherty. For older members of the family I’ll Be Home for Christmas offers a selection of thought-provoking stories again from outstanding authors with £1 from every sale going to charity Crisis.
There can be nothing better than curling up with a good book that demands to be read. This is the case with The Royal Rabbits of London. What happens when Shylo learns of a dastardly plot by the rats against the Queen? Written by Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag-Montefiore this is a book for bedtime whether shared or under the bedclothes. The Cat and the King from the much loved Nick Sharratt who has written the story and illustrated it, will certainly raise a smile as the king has to learn to live at No. 37 Castle Close
4 Books for Keeps No.221 November 2016
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