Jingle Bells by Nick Butterworth

Day 8
The mice know it is Christmas and Christmas should be a happy time but they have a big problem - THAT CAT! The cat steals their hidden food and makes sure their little Christmas stockings remain empty. They had made two stockings from an old glove and had high hopes of wonderful presents. You could adapt this idea with a young child and make some tiny mice stockings to hang on your hearth or tree.

Finding those empty stockings is the final straw so Lottie and Jack, the mice, set off to talk to Ton-Chee. "Ton-Chee was a rat. His real name was Gavin but he liked to be called Ton-Chee." On the way to the barn where Ton-Chee lives the mice find a bell.

"It's a sleigh-bell,' said Lottie. 'It must have fallen off Father Christmas's sleigh. It's lovely. Let's take it with us. We'll show it to Ton-Chee."

The mice explain their problem to Ton-Chee and a wonderful solution is proposed. On Boxing Day Mrs Mackie finds a small parcel addressed to Angus - we know him better as THAT CAT. I will leave you to guess what might be attached to a pretty red ribbon she finds inside and how this might change the lives of our two special mice. When you read this book aloud be prepared to sing and sing loudly as the mice celebrate a very happy new year.

I have been helping a friend with her annual library stocktake (inventory) and in exchange for my help I can borrow books! Today I raided her Christmas stock and found this book - Jingle Bells by Nick Butterworth (2000). I had not seen it before but it is a "new" favourite.

I really love books by Nick Butterworth although I now discover I have only talked about one on this blog - Albert Le Blanc.

Other titles in our school library are shown here. I especially adore Q Pootle 5.