Just when you think you have read every possible variation on a Christmas book along comes this one - The Thing about Christmas. Do not worry - I have not gone mad - I know it is March and not December but The Thing about Christmas is a 2026 CBCA Early Childhood Notable title.
The joy of this book is twofold - the illustrations interpret and go way beyond the rhyming text AND this book acknowledges that Christmas does not need to follow a formula. Your family may be small, or mum and dad might live in separate houses or perhaps you don't celebrate this season or Christmas might coincide with a deeply sad event in your life (make sure you look very closely at that page where we see a tiny photo of the family).
The final words sum up the 'message' of this book (sorry it is not really a message in the sense of being too didactic so please don't worry about my use of the word 'message').
"There's no right or wrong, whatever you do. Christmas in your home's unique, just like you. Because Christmas is not about all of that stuff. Christmas is love and love is enough."
The CBCA judges agree the 'standout' feature of the book are the illustrations:
Taking a closer look at the illustrations - on the first page a child sits in front of a screen looking at an idealised Christmas scene with all the trappings of tree, presents, lights, big family, stockings and a glowing fire. Even though we only have a back view it is very clear this is NOT the Christmas this child will experience. Turn the page and we zoom in on the real-life scene we just saw on the screen which then means the next page might give you a jolt as again we see a child, a different child, standing beside a tiny, slightly forlorn Christmas tree with only a couple of small presents underneath. This child is not looking at a screen, instead he can see a different family-filled celebration in the house next door. It is equally sad when we see a child sitting in a empty room with their two stocking/socks hung over a wall heater and not over the traditional chimney.
For me, though, the most powerful and poignant page is the one with this text:
"Or maybe your Christmas is split up in two, and the one thing you wished for didn't come true."
Now go back through the whole book and notice the repeated children and their adults. The girl dropped off by her dad appears in another scene decorating a gingerbread house with her mum. The boy who is looking at the neighbours, is later seen with his brother and grandmother having fun with their sword presents and their mince pies on the table!
In another scene dad has died but for Christmas, mum and her son have fun in the sun at the beach. In an early scene we see the family with their chicken, not turkey, dinner and then on Christmas day mum has had her baby, so all the family are seen visiting the hospital. The final double page spread is a summary of each family presented as a reflection in a Christmas bauble - such a lovely way to recap the story.
So much care and love has been poured into every illustration in The Thing about Christmas. Briony Stewart used a similar technique of connected stories in her book
These Little Feet.
In all honesty I would never use these but here are
the teacher's notes for The Thing about Christmas.
In 2023 I penned a blog post about the illustrator
Briony Stewart. Perhaps you saw her terrific book about the Tooth Fairy.
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