My true love gave to me illustrated by Scott McKowen

This small velvet covered book caught my eye at a recent charity book sale. The title is a little misleading - the real title is My true love gave to me: Twelve Days of Christmas. I have already talked about a number of versions of this famous song.

Book seller blurb: From a partridge in a pear tree to 12 drummers drumming, a beautifully illustrated celebration of the most festive time of the year. One of the most popular holiday songs of all time, The Twelve Days of Christmas probably originated in France during the late Middle Ages and became popular in England as a chant sung without music. The 12 days are traditionally those following Christmas, with the last day being the end of the season. Over the years the lyrics have changed but the song remains a perennial favourite, recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Alvin and the Chipmunks. My True Love Gave to Me is an exquisitely illustrated edition of the song's famous lyrics, featuring the art of Scott McKowen, an award-winning illustrator and graphic designer. Each day is accompanied by a richly detailed-and often whimsical-full-page scratchboard illustration of its grand and unusual gift. Populated by a partridge, turtle doves, French hens, calling birds, golden rings, geese, swans, maids a-milking, ladies dancing, lords a-leaping, pipers piping and drummers drumming ...

You already know the words but here is some of the scrumptious art. This book was published in 2014 but it is still available. [9781770852310]

Five Gold Rings

Nine Ladies Dancing

Eleven Pipers Piping

Twelve Days of Letters to Santa - Christmas Day

Dear Father Christmas by Alan Durant illustrated by Vanessa Cabban

Dear Father Christmas was published in 2005 and the paperback in 2013. I picked up a copy at a recent charity book sale for just 50 cents! This book is out of print but I am sure it will be in many school and local libraries and hopefully the final (vital letter) is still in the envelope on the last page.

After the children visit Santa in a big store Holly leaves him a letter above the fireplace:

Dear Father Christmas,

I hope you are well. Is it snowing in Lapland?

It is cold here. I saw a man in a shop today who said he was Father Christmas.

He was dressed like you, but was it you? Really?

He told me to leave my Christmas list by the fireplace, but I wanted to make sure it really was you.

Please answer.

love Holly

Father Christmas writes back to Holly. She finds his letter on her mantle. It is typed and has been sent from Lapland.

Dear Holly,

Thank you so much for your letter.

What a lovely Christmassy name you have!

"The Holly and the Ivy" is one of my favourite Christmas carols. 

I am also very fond of "Jingle Bells." I often sing it on Christmas Eve when I ride the sleigh

with my reindeer to deliver the presents.

Santa goes on to ask Holly to write her Christmas list. 

Holly wants something very special for Christmas, but she does not feel brave enough to ask so instead she writes back and asks about the elves. Once again Holly finds a reply on the mantle and once again she is not able to ask for her gift instead this time she asks about riding in the sleigh and Billy wants to know how Santa can fit down the chimney. The letters continue back and forth and Santa also gives Holly a decoration for her tree and a special guide explaining how to care for reindeer. On Christmas Eve Holly finally writes her Christmas list - you will never guess the one thing she wants most in the world but the envelope on the final page contains something so wonderful you are sure to sigh with happiness.

Here is a good idea - this reviewer suggests you treat Dear Father Christmas a little like an advent calendar - opening one letter each day in the lead up to Christmas. I would share this book with children aged 6+. Please don't use this with your child but if you need to see inside this book here is a video - it is read way, way too quickly. 

Meerkat Merry Christmas by Emily Gravett

Meerkat Christmas was published more recently in 2019. The paperback edition [9781509857302] from 2020 is still available. The publisher suggest this book for readers aged 3+ but to my eye this one is for an older child especially one who has enjoyed the other book from this series - Meerkat Mail (see below).

Bookseller blurb: A young meerkat travels the world looking for Christmas in this festive card-packed picture book, ...  Sunny isn't quite sure if Christmas in the desert with his meerkat family is the right sort of Christmas - there's no snow, no fir trees and no figgy pudding! So, he heads off on a journey round the world looking for the picture-perfect Christmas . . . before realizing he might have left it at home after all.

Begin with the cover - you need to stretch it right out.

Sunny reads a magazine article - How to have the Perfect Christmas. 

1. THE PERFECT WEATHER Must be snow. Crisp and deep.
2. THE PERFECT TREE Must be tastefully decorated
3. THE PERFECT PRESENTS There must be a huge pile.
4. THE PERFECT DINNER Must include well-boiled sprouts.
5. THE PERFECT MUSIC Christmas carols.

So Sunny packs his bag (which looks a little like a Santa sack) and he heads off - leaving the Kalahari - in search of a place that is more Christmasy than his desert home. 

First stop Australia and his friend Kev. But oh no they are having prawns and there is no snow and everyone is at the beach. Only one thing on his check list of five criteria receives a tick. 

Next stop Trevor's in the Philippines. Again, only one tick on the list although Sunny does enjoy eating crickets so this food be part of his Christmas dinner. He travels on to visit Robin, but it is raining and very gloomy. The birds are singing carols but there is no snow and the food on offer is worms! The weather is way better in Antarctica - snow tick, presents tick, but no trees, no dinner and no singing. Sunny travels on to the north. Snow tick, trees tick, but no presents, no dinner and no music. 

Finally "on the night before Christmas Sunny arrives somewhere perfect. The snow is falling (outside), everyone is singing, there is a beautifully decorated tree, plenty of presents and a HUGE Christmas dinner with all the trimmings (even sprouts).  It should be perfect."

It should be perfect but something is missing! Santa has the solution, and a wonderful present arrives on Christmas morning in the Kalahari. Oh, and remember Sunny had a sack - wait until you see what he has inside. And make sure you spend some time enjoying the brilliant end papers which are different front and back and contain some wonderful images to make you smile. 

Then re-read the book and find all the fun and corny Christmas cracker jokes. Here is a video of the book which is well done - good pace and full screen images but please only view this after you have enjoyed exploring the real book with your young reading companion or library group. 

This book is a joy, from Sunny’s Christmas jumper to the excitement of opening the little cards. A fitting follow-up to a popular book and a timely reminder that sometimes we have to look a little closer to home – at what matters to us – to find perfection. Book Murmurmation

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day eleven - The Lighthouse Keeper's Christmas

Dear Father Christmas,
I will be at the Grinlings' house on Christmas eve.
They have a chimney.
Your friend, 
George

Dear Father Christmas,

Uncle ways that he would like something for Christmas that's fun to wear.

No boring slippers.

Your friends

Mr Grinling and George

PS Hamish would like another toy mouse

George is the great-nephew of the lighthouse keeper Mr Grinling and he has come to stay. This will be the last Christmas, as lighthouse keeper, for Mr Grinling. On Christmas eve Mr Grinling, George and Hamish row out to the lighthouse. At the end of their busy day a storm whips up and their small dinghy is tossed out into the waves. Mrs Grinling had packed a delicious lunch but what will they eat for their tea? Mrs Grinling packs a new basket (just as she did in the very first book) with cake, pies, sandwiches, and fruit BUT yes, just as we have seen previously, those pesky seagulls attack the basket and everything is either eaten or lost into the sea. Luckily Mr Grinling is able to find a tin of baked beans, some sardines, an old potato and a packet of chocolate biscuits. They are snug and safe inside the lighthouse and everything is okay BUT then George remembers his letter to Santa. He needs to write a new one!

Father Christmas, Father Christmas

We are at the lighthouse tonight. Please ask the reindeer 

to bring the sleigh to the door because there isn't any chimney.

Your friends

George and Mr Grinling and Hamish

They attach this note to the top lighthouse window and Mr Grinling finds two enormous socks that Santa can use as Christmas stockings. 

"They left the socks and a chocolate biscuit by the lighthouse door, then Mr Grinling tucked George back into bed."

Over night it snows, and they wake up to a perfect white world AND stockings full of presents! And later Mrs Grinling sends their Christmas dinner over in the basket - but will those pesky seagulls attack the food again? Oh and Mrs Grinling also finds a way to reach the lighthouse and she has a special card for Mr Grinling from all the people of the village. A perfect happy ending.

Bookseller blurb: Once there was a lighthouse keeper called Mr Grinling. At night time he lived in a small white cottage perched high on the cliffs, and in the daytime he rowed out to his lighthouse to clean and polish the light. Mr and Mrs Grinling are looking forward to an extra-special Christmas with their great-nephew, George. But on Christmas Eve, Mr Grinling and George get stranded in the middle of a storm! Can Mrs Grinling reach them in time for Christmas dinner?

The Lighthouse Keeper's Christmas was published in 2002. The paperback edition was released in 2014 - that's the good news. It is still in print (I think) but the online bookseller price is over AUS$25. I was lucky to pick up my copy at a recent charity book sale for just 50 cents and it is in mint condition.

I have been a fan of the Lighthouse Keeper's book series since the first book was published back in 1977. In one of the schools where I worked as a Teacher-Librarian one class spent the whole term on work inspired by this book and all the sequels and as a result I made this Pinterest and now my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything adds books too. My love of lighthouses does go back even further than 1977 though - back to 1968 or 1969 when my family rented a tiny garage which was used by the owners as a make-shift holiday house at Port Macquarie on the New South Wales coast. The address was Lighthouse Road and so as expected there was a glorious lighthouse right the end of the road and this became by regular bike riding expedition and book reading nook nestled under the tower of the lighthouse. 

Christmas and lighthouses - a perfect combination. Here are a couple of other Christmas books set in Lighthouses!

It's day eleven of my twelve days of Christmas letters to Santa - I wonder which book will appear tomorrow - actually there might be a Christmas surprise - TWO books!

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Ten - Santa Post

Publisher blurb: Santa receives post from children all over the world. But when Amy sends him a letter, he just can't work out what she wants as her gift. Will Santa manage to find Amy the right present in time for Christmas Eve?

Can you see the burn marks. The vital words from the letter are ruined. How can Santa find the perfect gift for young Amy?

First he asks the elves but they are SO busy so the chief elf who has the delightful name of Elfalfa Higglesbottom Senior, asks Boggins to help. All that is left in the toy cupboard is a box of coal. But Amy was on the 'nice' list - this cannot be the right gift. So next Santa writes to Mr Polar Bear but this gift is enormous - perfect for a polar bear but not right for Amy. Surely the reindeer will know. All of the reindeer 'put their antlers together' and decide the perfect present is a carrot! I love the tone of their letter to Santa:

Howdy Mister S
So good to hear from you dude. We've just been surfing some clouds ready for the big night. Dancer dinged her antlers on a star doing an epic dive. It was so awesome. ... Wish I could see your face when you open this parcel. It's gonna blow your mind (and beard).

See ya later!

Peace out

Chief

The Chief Reindeer

Amy does receive a present at Christmas and I know the final letter will give your young reading companion a huge smile.

Emma Yarlett has done it again with another brilliant book featuring beautifully fold-out letters that are a joy to discover. This time, it's the clever use of letters to Santa - and letters to and from Santa and his team of experts - that help the story develop, and as the gifts for Amy multiply (a scarf, a carrot, some coal) young readers may be able to guess what might happen in the end. A heartwarming picture book with a special interactive element that makes it all the more fun. BookTrust

This book was published in 2020 and a new paperback edition was published in 2023. The best thing about the book design, apart from the fire singed letter, is the way the letters open as flaps. This means the precious letters cannot be lost by young borrowers as can be the case with a book like The Jolly Christmas Postman. Here is the book trailer. You can see inside this book on the author web page.

The companion volume to Santa Post is Dragon Post. You should look for this book because 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. 

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Nine - Alfie's Christmas

 

I have a friend who read all the Alfie books to her young children and many aspects of the lives of these children became part of their family vocabulary and nostalgia. This means I was not surprised when she suggested I add Alfie's Christmas to my series of Christmas Letters posts.

"Mum helped Alfie to make a list of all the presents he wanted. It was quite a long list. Then she helped him write a letter to Father Christmas. Alfie drew a picture of himself to go with it and they put their address at the top. Then they put it in an envelope with 'To Father Christmas' written on it and Mum helped Alfie post it in the pillar box at the end of their street."

In the illustration of Christmas morning, we can see Alfie surrounded by his presents - coloured pencils, a toy car, a windup mouse, an orange, a torch and a small Santa hat for his toy Flumbo. Under the tree Alfie finds a bright orange scooter with a red and blue helmet. He also receives a remote-control space buggy but, typical of presents like this, it needs batteries! I love the way Shirley Hughes includes a relative visiting from Australia. Great Uncle Will tells Alfie about Christmas 'down under' - summer, swimming, barbeques, beach visits, colourful parrots and once Uncle Will even saw a koala!

Here are all the Alfie books by Shirley Hughes:

Book 1: Alfie's Feet (1982)

Book 2: Alfie Gives A Hand (1983)

Book 3: An Evening at Alfie's (1984)

Book 4: The Big Alfie and Annie Rose Storybook (1988)

Book 5: Alfie Gets in First (1991)

Book 6: The Big Alfie Out of Doors Storybook (1992)

Book 7: The Alfie Collection (1992)

Book 8: The Alfie Treasury (1994)

Book 9: Rhymes for Annie Rose (1995)

Book 10: Alfie & The Birthday Surprise (1997)

Book 11: All About Alfie (1997)

Book 12: Alfie's Alphabet (1997)

Book 13: Alfie's ABC (1982)

Book 14: Alfie Goes Camping (1999)

Book 15: Alfie's 1 2 3 (1999)

Book 16: Alfie's Numbers (2000)

Book 17: Alfie's Weather (2001)

Book 18: Annie Rose Is My Little Sister (2002)

Book 19: Alfie Wins A Prize (2004)

Book 20: Alfie's World (2006)

Book 21: Alfie and the Big Boys (2007)

Book 22: My Alfie Collection (2011)

Book 23: Alfie's Shop (2013)

Book 24: Alfie's Christmas (2013)

Book 25: Alfie Gets in First ad Other Stories (2015)

Book 26: Alfie & Grandma (2015)

Book 27: Alfie Outdoors (2016)

Book 28: Alfie and Mum (2016)

Book 29: Alfie and His Very Best Friend (2016)

Book 30: Alfie and Dad (2017)

Book 31: Alfie at Nursery School (2018)

Book 32: Alfie on Holiday (2019) 

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Eight - Maisy's Christmas Letters by Lucy Cousins

It is day eight. Time to read a book which features the popular preschool character Maisy. 

Maisy is throwing a Christmas party, and all her friends are invited! When her guests RSVP, they send other Christmas surprises including an advent calendar, festive decorations, a gingerbread recipe and more. This story includes six real envelopes containing Christmas cards, gifts, decorations and a special letter from Maisy herself. Happy Christmas, everyone!

Check out my post - Meet the illustrator Lucy Cousins. 

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Seven - My Penguin Osbert by Elizabeth Cody Kimmell

Young Joe knows Santa can be tricky. He does not always understand exactly the present Joe describes. When he asks for a red racing car with "a detachable roof, a lightning bolt on the side and retracting headlights." The right car comes matching the description but it is only ten centimetres long.

The next year Joe asks for a trampoline but that's a tough word to spell - Santa supplies a pogo stick!

So, this year Joe is determined there will be no confusion. He wants:

• a penguin
• a real penguin
• not a suffed toy
• from Antarctica
• thirty centimetres tall
• black and white with a yellow beak
• his name should be Osbert

Thank goodness this time Santa gets it right. BUT wait a minute how can this young boy, living in a regular house, look after a REAL penguin. Think about food, water, cold, communication! Luckily for Osbert communication is not an issue. He makes his demands known and so Joe cannot play with his other presents the pair head outside to play in the snow. Then Osbert wants to stay in the bath long after the water has gone cold. And breakfast has to be chilled herring with seaweed jam. That afternoon Joe writes back to Santa:

"Dear Santa,

How are you and Mrs Claus? We are fine. 

Thank you for the great penguin, called Osbert. We have cold baths together and eat herring and seaweed jam for breakfast. I am getting used to spending all day in the snow.

Plus it turned out I didn't have frostbite after all.

Your friend 

Joe

PS One more thing, Santa. If you feel like maybe I should have asked for a different present, and you want to swap, that would be ok."

My Penguin Osbert is terrific to read aloud and then your young group could write their own letters to Santa. Here is the sequel to My Penguin Osbert:

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Six - Worried Arthur by Joan Stimson

Arthur is such a worrier. Christmas is coming. and Arthur comes home from school SO worried. The class have been learning about maps and Arthur can see there is a huge distance for Santa to travel from the NORTH POLE to the SOUTH POLE - you need to know Arthur is a penguin so he lives in Antarctica. Dad has the answer and Arthur is able to go to bed and fall asleep feeling a little less worried. 

At the end of the term Arthur is given a good school report except for the standard of his writing but here is the new worry.  Will Santa be able to read Arthur's Christmas list?  Once again Dad has the answer. 

Then there is the worry of the weather and worse Arthur worries he might not deserve any presents.  Dad is quite sure everything will be okay and yes Christmas morning is perfect.

Dear Santa,
Please if it is at all possible, as my bedroom is a little untidy ... 
could you leave any presents just here.
Love Arthur
PS there is a mince pie in the kitchen for you x

These books about Arthur seem perfect for children who have worries and I also liked the gentle way the author introduces this single parent family.  Arthur and his dad have such a special relationship.

There are other books (sadly all out of print) about Arthur:

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Five - Herman's Letter

 

This is my fifth letter book set at Christmas. Confession: I had no idea this book related to Christmas. Looking at my original post from 2014 I did not add that as a label but the final scenes in this heartwarming story do culminate at Christmas. I realise now the cover looks quite Christmasy with the tree, snow and woolly scarf. 

Dear Herman,

I hope you are well.  I haven't received ANY of your letters.  There must be a problem with the post or something.
I miss you so much!
You're my best friend in the whole wide world.
Please say you'll come and visit me soon.

Love Henry

Herman does write back but then he has a terrific idea - he will deliver the letter himself.  He embarks on a long and dangerous journey made even harder by the fact that it is now time for this bear to hibernate. 

Herman is found snoring in the snow. Clearly, they need a postman to make this delivery. Later the next day an enormous parcel arrives addressed to Henry. Inside Henry finds Herman but he is asleep because he is hibernating. On the second last page we see Henry surrounded by Christmas decorations with his tree and a Christmas card on the mantle. Herman is sleeping on the floor and the noise of those snores is so loud Henry has put corks into his ears. Turn to the last page and Spring has arrived. Herman has woken up and this pair of unlikely friends can now share lots of fun times as seen in the photographs scattered across the page.

It is going to be a hot summer here in Australia - Herman's Letter is a terrific cold story set in the snow - it might cool you and your young reading companion down on a hot day. Click the labels at the bottom of this post to find more of my Christmas letter books and more heart-warming books about unlikely friends.

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Four - Dear Santa: Please don't come this year

 Dear Father Christmas - I would like a Cindy Doll. Love Margot

It is day four of my 12 Christmas Letter book posts. This one is very different.

"This year we have five million video games and ten million computers."

Santa finds all this technology confusing. He is feeling old and tired.

Then Santa reads the final letter:

Dear Santa,

Please don't come this year. 

You always bring us fine presents. Thank you.

But, Santa, we have almost everything we want. 

Lots of children don't get presents.

Some don't have enough to eat or anywhere to live.

Some don't have anyone to look after them, even when they are sick.

So, we don't want presents for ourselves this year.

We want you to help other children, instead. 

And old people and animals in need.

We love you, Santa.

George and the Gang.

Santa flies across the world delivering the gift of food, the gift of health, the gift of sight, the gift of water, the gift of technology, the gift of workers who dig wells, the gift of peace - he takes the guns and puts them on a bonfire, the gift of learning, and to the animals - the gift of survival.

This is a very old book from 1993 but the subtitle intrigued me - Dear Santa: Please don't come this year. I was also curious when I saw no author name on this book - only an illustrator - Patricia D Ludlow. This book would not be one of my own Christmas favourites but I enjoyed the different perspective of giving to others. With older students you could link this book with UN Rights of the Child. 

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Three - A letter to Father Christmas

 Dear Father Christmas - I would like a Cindy Doll. Love Margot

Dear Father Christmas

I am writing to tell you what I would like in my stocking. When you come to my house on Christmas Eve you mustn't look for me in my bedroom because Grandma and Grandad will be there. I will be in Ben's room (next to the bathroom). Ben is too small to write his own letter so I have put some things for him on my list. Also would you bring me a surprise? I like surprises best of all.

Lots of Love,

Miss Charlotte Ruth Hall x

There is a rush after the letter is done. Charlotte needs to get it into the envelope. She picks up a list thinking it is her Christmas list along with her letter and her father posts it up their chimney. Charlotte is good at copying writing but she is too young to be able to read. When Father Christmas reads the letter he admires the neat writing but the list puzzles him. 

"Why it looks more like somebody's shopping list,' he thought. And of course, that's exactly what it was."

• Bread
• Carrots
• Fish
• Nuts
• Hot water bottle

The day before Christmas is very cold and thick snow covers the area around the house. Charlotte is worried about the donkey who lives in the next field - she wishes she could bring him in out of the cold. She is worried about the cat. He looks hungry but Charlotte would be so sad if he ate the birds. The birds are hungry too and there are only a few berries left on the holly bushes.

Can you match each gift from the shopping list with her animal friends. The presents in her stocking are certainly a surprise but there is also a special gift for Charlotte - and it is perfect.

This is an old book - the newest copy was published in 1997 - but there are plenty of fairly cheap used copies still available. This book is also sure to be found in many school library collections.

Here is an alternate cover from the US - I laughed when I watched the video read and realised this UK book had been changed for children in America - tap=faucet, Mum=Mom, Tea=Supper for example:

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Two - I'll be Home for Christmas

  Dear Father Christmas - I would like a Cindy Doll. Love Margot

This is my second post in a series featuring Christmas letters. In the case of this book Puddle is at home preparing for Christmas but Toot is stranded in a winter storm. 

Dear Puddle, I love family reunions. Great-Great-Aunt Peg is one hundred yeras old today. 

Wait until you see what she gave me. Your friend Toot.  PS I'll be home for Christmas

Puddle has so much to do. Chop wood for the fire, prepare the Christmas tree, make paper chains, hang the lights and write the cards. Sadly, he has to sign them Merry Christmas!        and Puddle. Leaving a space for his friend to write his name.

A letter arrives from Toot. It is an email addressed to puddle@woodcockpocket.com.  

Puds,

Edinburgh is having an ice storm. All flights delayed. But don't decorate the tree without me. I'm on my way home ... somehow. 

Your pal, 

Toot

PS I'm full of Christmas spirit.

Meanwhile Puddle keeps busy making a big batch of fruit cakes. Toot arrives in Boston, but all transport is cancelled then someone wonderful rescues Toot (guess who) and luckily he does arrive home late on Christmas Eve. (This might remind you of Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas).

I'll be Home for Christmas is sadly now out of print (2001) but you might find a copy in a library. Here are some other books about Toot and Puddle - I love them all. 

My friend has the small toys of Toot and Puddle!

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day One - The Jolly Christmas Postman

 Dear Father Christmas - I would like a Cindy Doll. Love Margot

The quote here is from a real letter I wrote aged 4! Welcome to my Twelve Days of Christmas for 2023. This year I have gathered together Christmas books that contain letters - letters to Santa or Father Christmas but also letters to other people or friends too but all set at Christmas.

First off The Jolly Christmas Postman. This is one of the best Christmas books of all time plus it is one of the best books of letters so it is the perfect choice for my series of posts. 

There are six letters in this book with delightful real envelopes and stamps that warrant close study and even a present or two. Grab a plate of mince pies before you settle down to read this book with your young reading companion. 

I continue to marvel at the production of this book - there's a real jigsaw, a small book (inside the book) and best of all a peep show picture that you stretch out. This book was first published in 1991 and it is still going strong. 

Here is the newer cover and the set of books in this series: