I’m just popping in to say hello, and show you some of the fabulous festive reads we’ve been enjoying lately – from Chanukah to Christmas, there are picture books for every occasion! All of these were sent to me for review, but as always my opinions are my own.
It still seems very early to me to be talking about Christmas, but since you have to be prepared, here’s a selection of adorable new festive reads for little ones! All these books were sent to me free of charge, but opinions are my own.
I Love You More Than Christmas by Ellie Hattie and Tim Warnes, from Little Tiger Books
This picture book is adorable! I really love the way these bears are drawn – they have such kind faces and feel so full of love. They kind of remind me of Bear in the Big Blue House, but I might be dating myself with that reference! This is a sweet book full of the chaotic joy of Christmas – so much to be done and made, so many people to see – with a clear message that what matters the most in all of these things is who you celebrate with. There’s a mixture of rhyming text and plain prose, which sounds odd but works really nicely in context for reading aloud. And bonus points for not giving Little Bear a gender on page, which makes this easy for a kid to see themself in. Between the warm, cozy artwork and the cute family feel, I think this one will easily be a favourite for years to come.
Is It Christmas Yet? by Jane Chapman
Ted can’t wait for it to be Christmas, but there’s so much to do beforehand! This sounds similar to the previous book, with bears doing a whole host of Christmas activities, but it’s got a more humorous slant than a cosy one, with lots of things going wrong – Big Bear will ring very true with stressed out parents whose festive to-do lists are miles long! I was surprised to find that this actually has a lot of text for a board book – it’s more like a sturdier, smaller picture book than a book for really tiny ones, so it packs a lot into its small size. The illustrations are sweet and funny, and overall this is a very cute read.
Nibbles: Christmas by Emma Yarlett
This is my first time coming across Nibbles, but I’m thoroughly charmed and will definitely be looking up the other books in the series. This is a board book that makes great use of flaps and cutouts to get kids to interact with Nibbles the Book Eating Monster – you might not be able to tell at first, but he’s chomped a hole through every page of the book (even the back cover!). The story is told in a clever counting rhyme that had me smiling, and I can’t resist Nibbles’ cheeky little face. It’s great fun!
Just a quick review today – this adorable picture book is the perfect festive read for little ones!
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of the last four books in Erica Ridley’s 12 Dukes of Christmas series – she’s released four a year for the last two years in September, October, November and December. It’s finally time for this year’s set to begin, and Dawn with a Duke is an adorable instalment!
For Christmas 2018, we got the first four books in Erica Ridley’s The Twelve Dukes of Christmas series – for 2019, we got four more! My review is somewhat belated, but despite the series name, these are definitely not so festive you couldn’t read them all year round!
I have one last festive picture book to show you, and I’ve saved the most appropriate one for the night before Christmas…
Looking for an adorable Christmas read for young children, full of warmth and kindness? Little Robin Red Vest is a gorgeous picture book that should hit the spot perfectly!
Something you may not know about me is that I am a huge Sherlock Holmes nut. I fell in love with the original stories way back in primary school, and have read them so many times I know most of them by heart (remember Data in that one episode of Star Trek? Like that). I’ve also read so many follow-ups by other authors (fanfictions, expanded canon, whatever you want to call it), and I have to say that Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon is one of the very best I’ve ever read.
Continue reading “Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon”
A very festive review today! The Cat of Yule Cottage combines mystery, magic, village life, Cornish traditions and cats into one enthralling read…
A Cat, A Book, and A Cup of Tea 