Mr Darcy and the Christmas pudding by Alex Field

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Ill. by Peter Carnavas. Mr Darcy series. New Frontier, 2015. ISBN 9781925059397
(Age: 3-6) This is the paperback version of the hardback Mr Darcy and the Christmas pudding that came out in 2014, and follows others in the series all named after characters in Pride and Prejudice, which will delight adult readers. Mr Darcy is a little duck, who wears a top hat and is busy celebrating Christmas. When he gets a ladder to put up some mistletoe over his front door at Pemberley Park, he spots the cat Mr Collins eyeing off his friend Maria, a tiny mouse. He rescues Maria and together they gather all the ingredients to make a Christmas pudding and Caroline, Bingley, Lizzie and her sisters arrive for Stir-up Sunday when they all have fun stirring the mixture. Poor Mr Collins initially isn't trusted to come inside, but Lizzie takes pity on him and they make him promise not to hurt Maria.
This is a charming tale that looks closely at the Christmas tradition of stirring the Christmas pudding on Stir-up Sunday, that according to the last page 'takes place five weeks before Christmas ... Every person in the household, including the children, takes a turn to stir the mixture and make a wish."
It also emphasises the importance of forgiving a friend for transgressions and allowing that friend to become part of the fun.
Pat Pledger

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