The Fairies' Night Before Christmas by Sarina Dickson and Sarah Grieg
Hachette NZ, 2021. ISBN: 9781869714468.
What is Christmas Eve without a "night before Christmas" story?
'Tis the day before Christmas And all through the trees The fairies are working As busy as bees...
Christmas for the fairies is just as busy for them as it is for everyone else, and young readers will delight in seeing that so many of the fairies' preparations echo their own. But when a storm blows in and ruins everything, it seems impossible that the little ones will wake to the magic they are expecting until...
With the familiar rhythm of Clement C. Moore's A Night Before Christmas, this is one to charm little ones to sleep to dream of all the magic happening everywhere as they sleep. And if they wake up to discover The Fairies' Night Before Christmas Activity Book in their Santa Sacks, then they will know that the magic is real!
Themes Christmas.
Barbara Braxton
The chaos before Christmas by Sarina Dickson and Lily Elmo
Hachette NZ, 2022. ISBN: 9781869714741.
Tis the run up to Christmas and there is so much to do! At Elf School we are learning how we can help too.
Elroy McChristmas and his friends are about to sit their final test before Santa decides the best job for each elf. But when it's time to show off their skills, Elroy's nerves get the better of him and he casts the wrong spell, sending the classroom into chaos! Can Elroy and his classmates restore calm before Santa arrives?
Although this has the familiar rhyming style of Clement C. Moore's classic A Night Before Christmas, this is a unique story that young children will want to hear over and over as they delight in discovering the detail in the pictures, each reading adding something new. And, at a time when awards are being given for this, that and the other, it offers an opportunity for those not in the limelight to think about their own best attributes and skills and consider what job Santa might give them if they were in Elf School. Because even though Elroy causes such chaos, Santa still finds the perfect place for him!
Themes Christmas.
Barbara Braxton
The Gift Shop Bear by Phyllis Harris
Worthy Kids, 2022. ISBN: 9781546013891. (Age:4+)
From a cosy box in the attic of the Nana's Gift Shop, Bear watches the seasons pass waiting for the last leaf to fall because he knew that's when Annie would come to get him and place him in pride of place at the bottom of the Christmas tree in the shop window. He knew that for the next few weeks he would do all sorts of things with Annie to mark the coming of Christmas but this year was different - the shop was closing for good and Bear was really worried about never seeing Annie again...
This is one of those feel-good, traditional Christmas stories that is timeless and thus likely to be one that endures for generations as a family favourite. It features all the elements that we think about at Christmas, regardless of it being set in the northern hemisphere with snow and carollers and people rugged up in their winter woolly warms. It leaves a feeling as warm as a teddy bear's snuggle.
Barbara Braxton
Strike the zither by Joan He
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781911231417. (Age:15 - Adult) Highly recommended.
This is an epic tale! Based loosely on a traditional story from Chinese literary culture it is re-imagined with a more contemporary gender exploration than the original patriarchal story of power, politics, and destiny. Set in 414 of the Xin Dynasty, Zephyr, the master strategist is working to raise the fortunes of her benevolent lordess Ren, who is the last of the regions’ rulers to maintain a loyalty to the Empress. With conflict from many directions, Zephyr must keep twisting and turning to ensure that the more unscrupulous leaders in different regions do not usurp her lordess. With conflict and warmongering as a given, there is also loyalty, strategy, devotion, potential romance, and allegiance woven through the subterfuge, distrust and deviousness of leaders and their supporters who are trying to wrest power from adjoining regions. Zephyr, is an unusual protagonist who uses her incredible intellectual ‘smarts’ to outwit and outmanoeuvre, despite her physical weakness and her impoverished background. But there is a twist in the tale and Chinese mysticism and fantasy also are interlaced throughout the drama. With the gods watching on and intervening into human destiny, romance and drama there are so many levels of intrigue.
This is first and foremost a fantasy adventure on an epic scale… and this is only book one of a duology. The intimations of Chinese cultural and historical influence are there, but have been envisaged and re-invented for a new YA readership by a Chinese-American author who was raised on the traditional stories of her parents’ homeland. Strike the Zither has threads that have been drawn from the traditional story Three Kingdoms, with creative license exercised to reconfigure characters and mystery into a different tapestry with the same themes. The magical quality of the story is like the music of the zither – atmospheric and expressive, and completely foreign music to that known by contemporary teenagers. And yet, that difference and the charmed nature of the story, with entries into the mythological arenas of the gods, is an amazingly powerful hook to draw in avid fantasy readers. This will strike a chord with fantasy lovers and they will be keen to discover what happens next in the lives of the ‘Zephyr’ character, Ren and her swornsisters, and the other strategists and opponents who are all seeking to master their own destinies and land, while the gods watch on and occasionally intervene in the mortal world. The cross-cultural flavour is delightfully refreshing as an excursion into new fantasy worlds. This is a story to delight and captivate… it is highly recommended for fantasy lovers aged 15 – Adult. (Younger readers, with stamina, might also enjoy this alternate fantasy world.)
Themes Mythology, Fantasy adventure, Identity, Conflict.
Carolyn Hull
Zola and the Christmas lights by Melina Marchetta. Illus. by Deb Hudson
After the wonderful series of Zola’s antics on each day of the week, What Zola did, comes this exuberant image of Christmas in the now famous Boomerang Street where Zola lives with her mother and gran. The series celebrates family and togetherness, community and friendship, and this picture book extends those wonderful strengths for younger readers. And combined with the celebration of Christmas this book will please everyone.
Zola and her best friend, Alessandro want to put up the Christmas lights just like Nonno did for many years, but Nonna has put them somewhere and does not seem to want to remember where. They have not been seen for two years. One day Zola is asked to go into the cellar to bring up some tomato sauce. The family is making lasagna for those in need in their neighbourhood. Zola is warned to remember to close the door but when she is about to do this, notices the box of decorations tucked away in the cellar. When she and her family deliver the food to the community centre, they return to find the dogs have been in the cellar and it has been ransacked. But Nonna and mum are not too displeased with Zola, and after spending some time cleaning up the cellar emerge to find that Alessandro has festooned the backyard with Christmas lights, just like Nonno used to do.
In the classroom they have been told of the different customs and beliefs of their neighbours and all of these people come together to celebrate Christmas and Nonno’s lights. A beautiful story of friendship, of memories at Christmas, of sharing, of community reflecting the diversity of today’s Australia.
The dazzling illustrations reflect all the themes inherent in the text: diversity, family, memory and togetherness alongside the wonderful feelings that Christmas evokes for everyone. Deb Hudson’s work reflect life that we all recognise, as she shows the everyday things which keep us happy. Zola hugs her dog, the community helps put up the lights, the family cooks for for the needy, they all sit down and eat together. We see the street in all of its diversity, while readers will be enthralled picking out the customs of Christmas, and absorb the images of other peoples and their customs. And at its heart, they all celebrate light, hope and being together.
Melina Marchetta is an award-winning author. Her eighteen books range from young adult fiction, fantasy, and works for younger readers.
Ill. by Angela Perrini. New Frontier Publishing, 2018. ISBN
9781925594270
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Christmas, Santa Claus,
Technology, Verse, Humour. When Santa goes high-tech this year, he
of course, being an older gentleman, has problems with the new
equipment. While delivering the presents from his sleigh, the screen
on his iPad goes blank, so he doesn't know what present to give to
whom. He is distraught, after all, he has spent the whole year
preparing for this night, touching up the marks on his red car, and
making sure he is up to the minute with his high-tech gear. His list
on his iPad keeps him informed about who to give a present to, and
he even uses a rocket-pack to deliver the gifts after parking his
car in places where car parks are in short supply. But in rocketing
up to the next child, he drops his device, causing him to sigh most
loudly, waking a young girl in the building. She is able to restore
his device to its normal function, and sends him off to complete his
work on Christmas Eve, telling him to contact her if he needs help.
Which he does with a funny twist in the tale.
Readers will laugh out loud at the situation Santa finds himself in,
recognising the frustration that comes with technology when it
doesn't do what it is expected to do. Mike Dumbleton's sense of
humour shines through, giving the readers a technically adept Santa,
using devices with ease, until a small problem occurs. Readers will
love Santa's attempts at bringing his work up to date, and think of
other ways he could use technology to improve his lot.
Perrini's delightful illustrations reflect her Italian heritage with
Christmas in the northern hemisphere: snow covered fields and roofs,
a heavy doona on the bed and wood fires in the houses, all
delighting Australian audiences used to the heat and sun of December
in the southern hemisphere.
A wonderful read aloud, the rhyming text lends itself to repetition
and learning sections to read with the adult reader, while
predicting the rhyming word at the end of each line. A whole heap of
good fun is to be had at this time of the year, with a beautifully
presented book such as this offering a very funny tweak on the usual
fare.
Fran Knight
Father Christmas and the Three Bears by Lou Peacock and Margarita Kukhtina
Nosy Crow, 2022. ISBN: 9781839945694. (Age:2+)
It's Christmas Eve and Father Christmas has just the last village of the Back of Beyond to visit but he is really tired. Seeing The Three Bear's cottage far below he stops for a rest and soon falls asleep in front of the fire. But when the bears come home they discover NOTHING will wake him. Not Baby Bear setting off the alarm clocks; not Mummy Bear playing Jingle Bells very loudly on the piano; not even Daddy Bear blowing his alpenhorn! How will the children of Back of Beyond get their presents?
Baby Bear has an idea and very soon the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers are there to deliver the last presents so no one misses out. But how will they cross the Roaring Rushing River, navigate the Deepest Darkest Wood and get past the Most Monstrous Mountain . . . all before the children wake up on Christmas morning?
This is one of those simple-good-fun stories that young children delight in at this time of the year, even more so because they will recognise the members of the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers and be able to use what they know about them to predict how they might overcome the obstacles that confront them, enabling them to become involved in the story rather than just passively listening. They might even like to predict how Baby Bear might be able to help the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers in the future.
An interesting storyline, bright pictures, familiar characters, problems to solve - this has all the elements of an engaging story for young readers.
Themes Christmas, Father Christmas.
Barbara Braxton
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Johnny Marks
Book and CD. Ill. by Louis Shea. Performed by Penny McNamee.
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742993638
(Ages: 3-7) Themes: Christmas. Louis Shea makes a lot of
non-traditional colour choices for children's books, especially with
his use of bright, almost fluorescent colour. His illustrations here
also seem a little dark and too focused on humour rather than
bringing to life the warm Christmas story of someone different
becoming a real hero. The song itself is unchanged; it just has a
short section added to the beginning: 'You know Dasher and Dancer
and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But
do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all?'
Older children will appreciate the humour in the illustrations (one
of the reindeer dressed up like a clown and wearing a red nose to
tease Rudolph about his nose) but most of the jokes will go over the
heads of a younger audience. This publication falls rather flat on
both fronts: it is neither a nicely repackaged recitation or an
adapted version with a unique perspective.
Nicole Nelson
When Frank presents his bold new idea to the other penguins, they are taken aback. They have never seen anything like it, and knowing that some of Frank’s ideas do not turn out well, are tepid in their enthusiasm. But not Frank. He is convinced that this is a good idea. After all a hat can keep you warm especially in their cold environment.
They refute his idea, and Frank goes away to knit more. Perhaps, he thinks, it is the red wool that they do not like, so he makes a sequence of hats using different colours. But all to no avail. Dejected, Frank vows to stop making hats when a seal taps him on the shoulder, wanting to have his red hat. The seal sees the possibilities of keeping his head warm, and Frank is surprised when turning he sees the other seals and what they are wearing. His persistence has paid off, his enthusiasm vindicated, he has kept trying despite opposition and followed his great idea.
A wonderfully enthusiastic story of chasing your dreams and not giving up, this story will be a hit in classrooms and the home as it is read to younger folk, eyes boggling at the landscape presented to them in the stunning illustrations using digital collage and paper folding techniques. The freezing environment is drawn with icebergs and mountains, cold icy seas and few animals: penguins and seals with an orca lurking in the background. Readers will love seeking out the features of this part of the world, adding to their knowledge of their wider environment. And they will love Frank and his determination, keeping on with his idea despite opposition, seeing in Frank a role model to emulate. Activities are available in the Story Time kit.
A board book about the countdown to Christmas will be a stocking filler this festive season, with Bluey and friends rocking through the song, The 12 Days of Christmas in their own way. Some days are represented by dogs, but we also see bin chickens. lizards, magpies, yabbies and garden gnomes adding their cheer to the celebration. Instead of my true love in the original song, we have verandah Santa as the giver of this compilation of animals.
Based on the hit ABC KIDS TV show Bluey’s count down to Christmas is tabbed for kids of all ages to select one of the days for themselves.
This award-winning preschool show about Bluey, a blue heeler pup, and her family is very addictive. The TV show has spawned a a popular ranges of books, toys, clothes, games and more. This book is another in the offshoots of the TV show and will be well received by the legion of fans. And I defy people not to have the Bluey song running through their minds as they read this book.
Themes Christmas, Bluey (TV show), Christmas carols, Australian animals.
Ten meerkats playfully introduce a host of words and activities associated with Christmas. Number one comes ready to play, two and three jump out of Christmas boxes, cheeky elves, four pops out of a cracker, five has a red nose like Rudolph, six comes along with tricks while seven lights up the Christmas tree, eight needs a prod to wake him up, nine slides down the tinsel while ten brings along the star for the top of the tree. Each time another meerkat appears, they attempt to clamber on top of each other to make a tree, with limited and wobbly success. The appearance of number ten means they are ready for another attempt and while their meerkat tree holds for a while, someone scratches their tum, and another sneezes and yet another sucks their thumb, leading to them all collapsing on the floor in a meerkat heap.
Fun to be had by all as number one tickles them all. A cheery story about that perennial favourite, the meerkat, will delight young readers, especially involving Christmas themes. A lot of ideas about how we spend Christmas are given here, reinforcing the trappings of Christmas: tree, tinsel, Christmas presents, star on top of the tree, Christmas lights and so on. A funny introduction to discussions about Christmas in the classroom.
We're going on a present hunt by Goldie Hawk and Angie Rozelaar
Nosy Crow, 2022. ISBN: 9781839941559. (Age:2+)
Three children are off on a hunt for the perfect Christmas present! But first they've got to get through the spiky Christmas trees, a herd of hungry reindeer, some noisy carol singers and a very busy toyshop! But there are SO MANY toys . . . will they ever find the perfect present? (Publisher)
Set to the familiar rhyme of We're Going on a Bear Hunt young children will delight in reading along with this story and its quirky ending - there's definitely a bear! The colourful illustrations will attract their attention and then discovering that they can read it already will help them believe that they too, can be "real readers". Not to mention getting them to think about what if this were an Australian story - what would change and what would they substitute?
Themes Christmas presents.
Barbara Braxton
Bunny's first Christmas by Enid Blyton Becky Cameron
As Christmas approaches, most of the toys in the toyshop are excited to be going to new homes. But Bunny, the littlest one, is worried. He can't imagine life outside the shop or without his best friend, the sailor doll. When Bunny is selected as a present to be given away at a Boxing Day party, he hopes desperately to go to kind children. Luckily, a happy surprise is in store for him!
Despite it being nearly a century since Enid Blyton was at her writing peak, her stories like this one never date - they still delight little children who revel in the magic and charm of Christmas. That so many of her books remain in print, have been translated into 90 languages and have sold over 600 000 000 copies is testament to the quality of her stories and the pleasure they offer. This is just one of many that have endured taking the reader into a world where toys talk and come alive to have adventures and feelings, just as they do. Who hasn't worried about not knowing anyone, making new friends or being left out of the fun?
A classic that deserves to be.
Themes Christmas, Toys.
Barbara Braxton
A very Play School Christmas by Jan Stradling and Jedda Robaard
Fans of Play School will be thrilled at the publication of a book about their favourite characters spending Christmas together at Jemima’s caravan park. All the trappings of Christmas are shown as the group arrives at the park, looks for the boxes Jemima has hidden, then prepares the tree, decorations, presents and food for the big day.
Big Ted, Little Ted, Kiya, Humpty and Joey all arrive in Kiya’s car, ready to unpack. But the little tree looks bare and so Jemima sends them all off to find the boxes. Each box reveals things which they will need to make Christmas a success. Humpty unfortunately sits on the box of paper chains but Kiya finds the box of wrapping paper, Little Ted finds a box of crackers while Big Ted finds the box wth the Christmas pudding recipe and Joey finds a box of things for the lucky dip. Each makes a present for the lucky dip, using recycled or found material. Big Ted makes a picture, Kiya creates a mobile and Joey designs a bag made of recycled material. On the day they are all prepared and designate the day the best Christmas ever.
All children will love the story reflecting all the things that families do at Christmas time in Australia. The soft digital illustrations follow the progression of the holiday spent together, all the characters finding something to do with Christmas to show the readers. Australian animals can be seen in the background, and children will love spotting and identifying them while focussing on the excitement of preparing for Christmas and the sharing with family and friends. I particularly enjoyed the reinforcement of sharing, of being with friends and of present giving from recycled, found or home made items.
Themes Christmas, Australian animals, Play School, Humour, Holidays.
We're going on a sleigh ride, Ho, ho ho! Can you find the hidden gifts? Whoosh! OFF WE GO!
And the embossed details on the cover will entice them to open the book.
They are certain to be ready to lift the flaps and find the ten presents that are hidden on the pages while having fun learning to count. Like the other books in the series, the illustrations are bright and cheerful, and children are sure to love Santa whooshing through the sky in his sleigh which is packed full of presents to deliver all around the world. His little rabbit helpers with their cute faces and long ears are delightful. There are many fascinating details like snowflakes, a little mouse and teddy bears, to hold the interest of even the very young child while older children will love to read along or even read to younger siblings in the days leading up to Christmas.
The rhythm and rhyme in the story makes it a perfect read aloud and introduction to Christmas, and children could be enticed to bed on Christmas Eve just like the little rabbit helpers in the story to await the arrival of Santa to put their presents under the Christmas tree.
Themes Christmas, Santa Claus, Sleigh rides, Lift the flaps.
