Fans of the very popular This is a ball will welcome another very funny book from the award-winning duo, Beck and Matt Stanton. Designed for the festive season, the cover of This Is an Elf will immediately draw readers in with its bold red background and a picture of a reindeer. What? Where is the elf? Turning to the book, the instructions tell the readers to make sure they are both on the same page with questions, 'Is this Santa’s hat? Is this a Christmas star? And what’s this?' The young child will see Santa’s hat, but what is a candy stick doing next to a star and yes, there is a Christmas angel. From then on, the fun begins. On one page the text reads: 'This is a Christmas tree', and on the opposite page is an illustration of a candle. The next page has the text 'This is a Christmas tree that wrapped in Christmas lights', and the illustration is of tinsel wrapped around the candle. The book proceeds in this contradictory way featuring a reindeer as an elf, Santa’s bag full of presents as a Christmas cracker, finally culminating in a surprise.
Children are likely to become immersed in the humour of the book, contradicting the adult who is reading aloud, and having lots of fun proving that the adult is completely wrong with the story that is being read. I loved the illustrations, particularly thar of the reindeer, with its simple outline and wonderful expressions. Vivid, green, red and yellow background colours make the white print stand out and give the book a happy, Christmas feeling.
This a wonderful book which will bring smiles to the faces of both children and adults, who will have enjoy challenging each other over the text and illustrations. It is likely to prove a favourite for the festive season.
It's two days before Christmas Eve, the night Papa Red visits, and the young elephants are very excited. They choose a tree to decorate and prepare the presents for Papa Red to collect during the night to take to those who need them. But this year Elmer has a special treat in store for the young elephants, if they can keep quiet and out of sight...
How well I remember shouting "BOO" and startling my 1989 Kindy class as I shared the new release about a patchwork elephant with its brightly coloured cover and intriguing story. And how many times I have done that since with that original story and all its sequels since then. I've written units of work that have explored everything from the elephants of Africa and Asia to the craft of patchwork, have a row of soft-toy Elmers looking over my shoulder and may even have crafted an Elmer-inspired storybook cushion or two. Such is the popularity of this character that he has his own website, his own range of merchandise, even his own dedicated day and there would be few who don't recognise him instantly, and now, a new generation can share in his adventures with this newly released board book version.
With its important message about being generous towards others that don't have as much as we do, Elmer explains, "this is the season for giving." this is a gift that keeps on giving to our little ones as they discover and delight in not only sharing all Elmer's other adventures but also the magic of books and the joy of reading.
The front cover introduces us to the main character in this story, one very cross cat who does not like Christmas: his eyes glare out at the reader, the ears are flat, the whiskers making a cross over his face.
Cat likes to feel comfortable and safe, but one time he does not feel happy with life is Christmas. He does not like the decorations, he hates the silly presents, the sticky food, the noisy visitors who come to stay, especially when they move into his special places. He tries to tell his family, but they don’t take any notice, just shove him out into the cold wet snow after he pulls down the Christmas tree.
He yowls at the moon from a high branch in the tree, and the clouds part. He loves looking at the moon and the stars, and is happy with the world, but as the clouds move together again, it begins to rain, leaving him wet and bedraggled. He walks past the leftover presents, the remains of the feast, the baubles and bunting, to go back inside. He jumps onto a lap and is wonderfully received. The girl asks him where he has been. It is not Christmas without Cat, she says, offering him his present. Christmas has changed, and he loves his new favourite place, getting the attention he wanted.
A charming story of a turnaround as Cat hates Christmas, but when he is included in the gift giving, his attitude changes.
Kids will love reading about the trappings of Christmas, seeing what Cat’s house looks like at this time of the year, comparing it with their own. The illustrations are wonderful, giving a clear idea of how Cat feels with the simple change in his eyes, whiskers or ears, adding lots of laughs to the reading of this story. I loved the dachshund with his snowman outfit, the favourite green chair being taken over by the dog, and the places where Cat causes minor disasters, and over all the wonderful surly looking Cat, daring us to open his book.
A great read aloud, the story is a marvellous look at Christmas from the animals’ point of view.
Every reader will love the adventures of Parisian mouse, Claris, busy in the kitchen making a variety of sweets for the coming celebrations. In a book full of the sounds, sights and customs of Christmas, the little mouse makes loads of sugary sweets and teeny cakes, wrapping them all in bright paper. With almost every page drawn within sight of the Eiffel Tower, readers will love the repeated image, adding to their knowledge of the wider world. Bright, sumptuous illustrations fill every page, using the colours associated with Christmas to great effect. Claris’ bright red dress, the red curtains, red cakes, ribbon and wrapping paper, all combine to give a wonderful image of Christmas and its trappings, promoting the idea to younger readers.
Claris bakes her cakes and wraps them, filling her basket with gifts. She walks thorough the snow outside, looking for people to give her gifts to. She gives them to a busker, singing carols to the passers by, then finds a group of cats taking time out on a bridge over the Seine, and with only a few left, she hears the chimes telling her it is midnight. She must get home to Monsieur and finds a guard dog on his way home. He gives her a lift and she asks him to join her for Christmas. So the three have a happy Christmas and many other people have benefitted form her generosity.
Wrapped within this story are the values of gift giving, sharing and friendship. Claris makes things to give away, taking home someone who would have been alone on this day. The book supports the idea of Christmas being a time for sharing and seeing that everyone has someone to be with.
Another book to add to the Christmas collection in a library, Mrs Claus celebrates all the work that Mrs Claus does to ensure that everything goes smoothly for Santa Claus as he takes out his sleigh and delivers presents.
The North Pole has a secret to each Christmas Eve's success. She's strong and smart and magic ... and she wears a bright red dress!
Travis Price’s memorable illustrations immediately bring Mrs Claus to life. She is drawn as a bright charming woman, with red lipstick and long hair, big eyes and eyelashes and small spectacles, always with a smile on her face. The jobs that she does are very important. She pins up a list on the wall to ensure that none are forgotten. They include make a naughty and nice list, clean & service the sleigh, make toys and other chores. Once Mrs Claus and elves and cute little mice think of all the cool toys to make, Mrs Claus starts her lessons in her elf school. Then she teaches the elves how to fly the sleigh, reads the letters to the North Pole and wraps all the presents. And finally, Santa and the elves prepare a special surprise for Mrs Claus on Christmas Day.
The narrative flows smoothly and would be good to read aloud while the illustrations complement the story, adding minute details like the tiny mice that children will delight in finding. The book is 'For the special people who make every Christmas magical. Especially our Mums!’ and children will be able to think about the work that their mothers and grandmothers might do to make Christmas a wonderful time.
This book could be a good contrast to the traditional Christmas stories featuring Santa Claus, giving children a glimpse of a vibrant, clever, organised and cheerful Mrs Claus. Teacher notes are available.
Themes Christmas, North Pole, Mrs Claus.
Pat Pledger
Santa Post by Emma Yarlett
Walker Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781529512076. (Age:3+)
Just five sleeps to go before Santa had to load his sleigh and make that once-a-year trip that brings so much delight to little people. But then down his chimney comes a late letter from Amy asking for a ????? Unfortunately, the most important words have been burnt out by the fire's embers and Santa has no idea what Amy has requested. Never before has he not delivered what a child wants and so he calls on his friends - Head Elf Elfalfa, Mr Polar Bear and the Chief Reindeer - to help but nothing they deliver quite fills the bill. What is Santa to do?
Reminiscent of the format of The Jolly Christmas Postman, this is an intriguing book with its flaps and letters to and from Santa - although they are firmly attached to the book as lift-the-flap pages - and young readers will have fun not only trying to work out what Amy might have asked for, but also investigating how Head Elf Elfalfa, Mr Polar Bear and the Chief Reindeer responded. How would they feel if they were Amy and received their suggestions on Christmas morning? If they were Santa, how would they solve the problem? And what might it be that Santa finally delivered?
Written in a variety of fonts that may be difficult for its intended audience to read independently, this is one to be shared between adult and child, perhaps as they snuggle down for the night.
This is one of the Post Bag series from this creator which includes Dragon Post,Monster Post, and the latest, Unicorn Postwhich were inspired by a childhood memory of her husband and which have all the elements that encourage young readers to want to read and revisit books in print. There is nothing quite like physically lifting a flap to discover what's hiding underneath. In this interview, she even challenges budding writers to create their own story.... "One morning, you find a magical creature on your doorstep that needs a new home. Write a letter to its new owner, telling them all about it, what it likes and doesn't like, and how they can become friends with their new magical pet."
Even though email and texts seem to be the most common way of communicating these days, nevertheless the magic of the traditional letter to Santa never seems to fade and using the examples in this book, there is much that can be used to teach children about structure and content of that format as they write their own letters to send. (Hopefully, their letters won't perplex Santa like Amy's did.)
Christmas Eve and things are happening in this house. The cat, Kitty McCatty is chasing a mouse, while the baubles on the Christmas tree are arguing, the Nutcracker trying to intervene. Using ’Twas the night before Christmas’ poem as a template the story unfolds in rhyme. This adds to the fun of the book as readers predict the rhyming words as they go.
Suddenly the lights flicker as the mouse runs up inside the tree, followed of course by Kitty McCatty. The baubles stop bickering as the mouse leaps from the tree, leaving the cat stuck at the top of the swaying tree.The whole crowd yells get rid of that cat, and a small voice offers help. The Gingerbread man has an idea. He outlines a plan to the Nutcracker and baubles and lights. They use the lengths of tinsel to make the tree stand up straight, one group pulling the tree one way, the others pulling it the other. When Santa comes down the chimney later in the night, he finds the tree almost straight with a kitten at the top instead of an angel.
This is a fun book, easy to read, wonderful as a read aloud, one that will encourage children to predict rhyming words and look for the original poem to compare the two.
Matt Shanks’ illustrations are bright and cheerful, full of colour and movement, encouraging readers to take in all the detail, watching the mayhem caused by the kitten chasing a mouse. All sorts of things cover each page, encouraging children to recognise those things which are customary necessities at Christmas in western homes. The tree with all its trimmings is delightful, especially the face at the top, and several branches used as limbs when it is trying to stop the cat. One page is turned to portrait as kids will turn the book to see the tree in all its beauty.
A fun book for one and all.
Themes Problem solving, Christmas, Christmas tree, Verse.
Fran Knight
Dasher and the Polar Bear by Matt Tavares
Walker Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781529528824.
Dasher, the little doe who left the travelling circus to follow her dreams of living where there is snow beneath her hooves and the North Star above her head, and subsequently changed Christmas forever, is back in her third adventure - this time while she is practising her flying, she stops to admire the Northern Lights and is startled by a loud roar! But George the polar bear is not as scary as she feared - in fact, he is lonely and is somewhat mesmerised by Dasher's ability to fly, something he would love to do himself.
But even though Dasher spends a lot of time trying to teach him, it seems his four feet are destined to remain on the ground. But when she returns to her mother and recounts her adventures, her mother has some wise advice - "Christmas magic isn't the same for everyone. And sometimes it works in unexpected ways."
Does that mean that one day George will, indeed, fly?
Set against the beautiful artwork that portrays the starry polar sky and give the story a sense of realism, this is a one that is going to reinforce the magic of this special time as well as raise a smile as little ones imagine the spectacle of George's landings. Whether shared as part of the series, or a standalone, it is one that reminds us of the intangible, long-lasting gifts that Christmas offers, like reaching out to strangers.
Themes Reindeer, Christmas.
Barbara Braxton
A city full of Santas by Joanna Ho. Illus. by Thai My Phoung
For five years the little girl has tried to stay awake to meet Santa face-to-face, and every year she has fallen asleep before he has arrived. But today is the day - her mother is taking her into the city to meet him IRL.
But when she gets there she discovers the streets are full of Santas - so who is the real Santa? She knows he "smells like peppermint and chocolate, laughs like the sun clapping its hands and feels like a heart full of glitter" so she figures she will be able to detect him easily despite all the choices. But can she? Or will she go home disappointed?
Once again, the author of such iconic stories as Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, Eyes that Speak to the Stars and Eyes that Weave the World's Wondershas crafted a special story for young readers echoing the excitement that is starting to build as they patiently wait in the queue to tell Santa their secret wishes, which in turn, are echoed by illustrations that will look so familiar. Ho has a way with words that just make the story roll off the tongue, and little ones will understand the confusion the little girl feels when she is confronted by so many versions of the most popular man in their lives at this time.
Given the tight parameters of traditions which seem to enclose Christmas, it amazes me how many quality stories about the time continue to be written, each different and each almost inhaled by our young people as they are shared, but this is another and it is a stand-out.
Themes Santa Claus, Christmas.
Barbara Braxton
The Aussie 12 days of Christmas by Brentos
Affirm Press, 2025. ISBN: 9781923135413. (Age:2+)
Using the classic Christmas carol, Twelve Days of Christmas as its template, this fun book counts from the first to the twelfth day on each double page. Each of the twelve days has a different Australian animal as its focus, and each page adds all the animals to its illustration.
Children will love seeing the lone koala in a gum tree on the first page and equally, seeing the twelve squawking cockies.
On each page between are quokkas, frogs, dolphins, magpies, turtles, galahs, rosellas, goannas, wombats and kangaroos. These animals keep coming as each page is turned building up the number on each page, just right for inquisitive minds to find them all.
Children will love listening to the carol being sung, and join in themselves with the Aussie version. Bright illustrations cover each page, as the scene is the same, just adding more animals as the book proceeds. Looking at the detail, counting the number of animals and predicting what animal may come next will engross younger readers as they read this book. And it doesn’t take much persuasion to read another Christmas book.
And they may even ponder what the recipient of all these gifts will do with them.
Themes Christmas, Christmas carol, Australian animals, Humour.
Barney Gumnut the cute little kolas with his friends Hoppity (kangaroo), Robert (wombat), Wilfred (budgie), Edith (echidna) and Charles (cockatoo) are very excited because it is Christmas Eve. Edith asks Barney ‘what does Christmas actually mean?’ and each of the friends have a different answer; celebrating with friends, giving and receiving presents, swimming playing games, eating pavlova and wearing paper hats. Charles declares that ‘Christmas means creating special things to share!’ so the friends each make something special. Robert made mince pies, Barney made cards, Wilfred collected gumnuts, Hoppity made a little nativity scene and a gingerbread house and Edith and Charles made Christmas decorations. They wrapped presents, decorated the tree and then went camping finally having a Christmas feast with their ‘bestest friends.’
Children will easily relate to the many familiar things that are meaningful for the animals and are likely to find something that they have experienced themselves when celebrating a holiday such as Christmas. The delight in giving and receiving presents, in making something to share and gathering for a wonderful meal is beautifully illustrated in soft watercolours. The lovely endpapers show Australian flora including gumnuts and each illustration has minute details for a young child to pore over.
A Barney Gumnut Christmas is a gentle exploration of the importance of friendship and sharing. It would make a perfect bedtime story and a lovely way to explore some of the traditions surrounding the festive season.
Themes Christmas, Sharing.
Pat Pledger
Don't let the pigeon drive the sleigh! by Mo Willems
Santa has to go and wrap presents, but as he leaves he has a last warning - "Don't let the pigeon drive the sleigh!" And so begins a conversation between the pigeon and the reader as the pigeon begs, pleads, cajoles and even attempts to bribe the reader into letting him get into the sleigh! It's all the pigeon wants to do and he has some very convincing arguments that he is well-qualified to take on this task. Until...
The action is carried along entirely in the pigeon’s appeals but it is clearly intended that the young child put on the “parent’s” hat to say no, much like a role-reversal of when they themselves want something and the parent has to withstand all the child’s reasoning and promises, making it an interactive read that is lots of fun. Not only can they stretch their imaginations to suggest why the pigeon shouldn’t drive the sleigh but they can put themselves in the pigeon’s place and also think of arguments they might use to get their own way. The only issue is, that in the child’s denials to the pigeon, the parent might hear themselves echoed! Children learn what they live!
Continuing the series that has enchanted children for decades, this has the charm, humour and appeal of the original as well as the format and instantly recognisable illustrations, and the twist in the tale will delight them. They might even like to predict what the pigeon might get up to next!
Themes Santa Claus, Christmas, Pigeons.
Barbara Braxton
Snowed in at the Wildest Dreams Bookshop by Gracie Page
Fans of The Wildest Dreams Bookshop will be thrilled to have another stand-alone romance set in the picturesque seaside town of Fox Bay in Cornwall. Ivy’s first term at art college has been disappointing. Unable to afford to live in the college’s residential accommodation, she must travel to college and hasn’t made any friends. What is worse – she has lacked inspiration for her art and is failing her course. She returns to Fox Bay, with a job in The Wildest Dreams Bookshop, but feels isolated and depressed. Then Trip, a bright optimist, always cheerful and seeing the best in people, making friends with little effort, wants her to show him the sights of the town and when they work together on the school’s annual show, sparks begin to fly.
The trope of grumpy versus sunshine is managed well by Gracie Page, making Ivy the antisocial character and Trip the guy full of happiness. The reader can identify with Ivy whose dreams of leaving a small town and shining in a new environment are shattered, while Trip’s optimism is alluring. However there is a small cloud over Trip’s reason for being in Fox Bay that is subtly written by the author and readers will enjoy getting to know the backgrounds to the characters.
Snowed in at the Wildest Dreams Bookshop is an engrossing rom com that will have readers quickly racing through the book, eager to see how Ivy’s life and art progresses while enjoying the cheer and friendliness of Trip. This is a feel-good book, perfect for holiday reading and fans of Lynn Painter and Jenny Han. Readers may also enjoy Grumpy darling by Alexandra Moody.
Christmas in the Bush by Maggie May Gordon. Illus. by Faye Gardiner
Little Steps, 2024. ISBN: 9781922833075.
No matter how many books and stories there are for little people featuring Santa, reindeer, snow-covered landscapes and the like, and how much these appeal because we cling to those traditional images of Christmas perpetuated by our northern hemisphere ancestors who wanted to be reminded of a home far away, it is always refreshing to discover new works that not only reflect the reality of an Australian Christmas, but celebrate it.
In this collection of stories and poems from acclaimed poet Maggie May Gordon, each is set in the outback and illustrated in a way by Faye Gardiner that gives it that "olde worlde" feel that gives it a particular charm. From fairies on the Christmas tree - "Though not like fairies you usually see, For she wear not a gauzy gossamer gown But Gumnut Blossoms drifting down" to a swaggie camping under an old gum tree, readers are taken to a different time and place with a more relaxed rhythm away from the sound of the cash register.
As well as sharing the words, it offers the chance to reflect on today's festivities and how they contrast with not only those more common images of a winter wonderland, but also the sorts of things done then and now. Children can share the always-have, always-do things in their family, investigate their origins and consider what they might continue with their own families when they are in charge of the celebrations,.
A little something for everyone that offers a calming, settling retreat from the rush.
Themes Christmas.
Barbara Braxton
Countdown to Christmas by Evie Garland and Rachel Gyan
Albert Street Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781761181993. (Age:3+)
A colourful board book in the shape of a Christmas Tree will have instant appeal to young readers. The book takes the reader on a countdown from ten to one, as each page shows the tree in an every increasing amount of decoration. On the left hand side of each double page is a view from the window, with some decorations appearing later in the countdown. Children will love picking out the bevy of animals shown as the pages are turned. They will love the increasing number of decorations appearing on the tree and the presents building up at its base.
Under the window on the left hand side are rhyming lines showing the additions to expect when looking at the tree.
Apart from learning the numbers, from ten bobbles down to one star, children will have experience in prediction, observation and reading along with the adult. They will be able to look at the customs of Christmas in Australia, pointing out the range of decorations added to the tree.
And all wrapped in a a strongly produced board book, ready for a large amount of use by little fingers and hands.
