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.
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