Christmas Day

This is my final post for my 2021 Twelve Australian Books for Christmas because today is Christmas Day!

Kathleen screamed with delight as she saw him. Father Christmas. 

His beard was blinding. 

His clothes were so Christmas red! Just like all the pictures she had ever seen of him. 

And here he was. Real. Here, in the middle of the desert. 

Blurb  by Jane Jolly: The Tea and Sugar Train only came once a week on a Thursday. But the special Christmas train only came once a year. Today was Sunday. Four more days without sugar. Four more days until the Christmas train. Please, please be on time. Please don’t be late. Join Kathleen in the Australian outback as she eagerly awaits the Christmas Tea and Sugar Train. Will she meet Father Christmas? Will she receive a gift from him? A delightful, heartwarming story from the National Library of Australia that will intrigue and captivate readers, and introduce them to a slice of the past.

Tea and Sugar Christmas by Jane Jolly illustrated by Robert Ingpen would seem to be a perfect choice because:

• The scenes in this book could only happen in Australia
• The setting of this book is outback South Australia (the end papers are maps)
• Jane Jolly comes from South Australia
• Father Christmas gives Kathleen the best present possible - a book to read
• The illustrator of this book - Robert Ingpen - won the IBBY Hans Christian Andersen Award
• This is a longer picture book which can be shared with older children (and younger ones too)
• Tea and Sugar Christmas is based on real events (watch the video on this link) - from 1915 until 1996, the Tea and Sugar train travelled from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie one a week. 
• Tea and Sugar Christmas was an Honour Book for the CBCA Eve Pownall Award in 2015. The winner that year was A–Z of Convicts in Van Diemen’s Land by Simon Barnard. 
• You can see the whole book on Story Box Library if you have a subscription. It is beautifully read by Ursula Yovich.
• Here is a very comprehensive set of teaching notes
• Good news this book is still available

Try to find some other books by Jane Jolly - One Step at a Time; Glass Tears; Ali the Bold Heart; Limpopo Lullaby; and Radio Rescue (also illustrated by Robert). Jane has a new book but I can't talk about it here because it has been entered for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year award (and I am a judge and so it has to stay a secret!). 

This book was also included by Natalia Bragaru on her blog Kids Book Explorer this year as a Christmas favourites. Take a look because her post contains many pages from this scrumptious book. You can also read about other books illustrated by Robert on this her blog. 

IBBY Australia will have a special presentation for International Children's Book Day in 2022 where you can discover a little more about Robert Ingpen and our other Australian nominees for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Save the date - 2nd April and join IBBY Australia.

Robert Ingpen's timeless, soul-stirring illustrations and paintings make for a goosebumpling and emotional production. Featuring striking, monochrome pencil sketches that fold out into divine, full colour vistas, the book is a true feat in striking production. The four-page-fold-out scene of the inside of the train is just breathtaking, and the landscape vistas are equally beautiful. The pencil sketch of Kathleen when she sees Santa will not fail to bring a tear to the eye. Kids' Book Review