Tag Archives: Winter wonderland

Winter wonderland….. 5 sleeps to go!

Two more lovely picture books join the winter wonderland line up , with jut under a week to go until the big day! A crazy canine countdown and a magical journey to celebrate family at Christmas time.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Alison Ritchie and Marisa Morea

A little puppy is caught up in the countdown to Christmas as dogs of all manner, shape and sizes ‘help’ to get everything ready. From choosing the tree, to baking cakes, to running off with festive treats, the dogs are having a wonderful time. With Chihuahuas, Retrievers, Scottie dogs and Dalmatians there’s a dog for every person – and a task for every dog!

A great picture book for all dog lovers this is a lovely rhyming treat, reflecting on the fabulous chaos of getting ready for Christmas. It captures the fun, excitement and just how much we can all get carried away! Taking inspiration from the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas, this would be a great book to read aloud. There’s lots to see with lively and colourful illustrations, bringing to life all the different festive traditions from decorating the tree to wrapping presents to preparing food. With lots of excited little ones counting down to Christmas, it’s the perfect time to share this story.

Find out more at www.marisamorea.com and www.simonandschuster.co.uk

Last Stop on the Reindeer Express by Maudie Powell-Tuck and Karl James Mountford

A young girl, Mia, misses her Daddy as Christmas approaches and even the sights and sounds at the Christmas market don’t make her feel more festive. Mia can’t get the Christmas card she has made him delivered on time, but when she discovers a magical post box that leads her to the Reindeer Express, it seems her Christmas wish may come true. Mia is taken by a magical reindeer on a fantastic journey over land and sea to meet a very special person and deliver her card! When Mia has to leave her father the sky is filled with other children on their own reindeer and she understands she is not the only one missing a family member. This helps Mia and whilst her Daddy can’t spend Christmas at home, she discovers she is brave enough to be without him.

This is a beautiful book full of heart-warming, magical illustrations with a lovely message about families at Christmas time. A simple narrative that even young children will relate to conveys the story, with the added magic and wonder of the festive season. Whilst we can’t always be with all of our loved ones at Christmas, knowing we’re not alone makes it easier and we can still enjoy celebrating. With lots of lovely illustrations to look at and lift the flaps and cut-outs, Last Stop on the Reindeer Express celebrates Christmas and family perfectly.

Find out more www.karljamesmountford.com and littletiger.co.uk/authors

With thanks to Simon and Schuster and Little Tiger Press for sending me these books to review.

Winter wonderland….18 sleeps to go!

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Two very different animals feature in our next winter wonderland installment. Whilst not strictly festive (apart from the snow!), both books have wonderful themes of being brave and celebrating friendship and would make lovely gifts at Christmas time!

Don’t Leap, Larry! by John Briggs, illustrated by Nicola Slater

You can’t help but fall a little in love with Larry the lemming. He is bold and fearless and unlike his fellow lemmings, loves to be different and think for himself. From going sledging with the puffins to choosing his own very brilliant name (everyone else is just called lemming!) he stands out from the crowd. So much so in fact he decides to see if he’ll fit in better with another group of animals – but nothing works – especially not the polar bears! Finally, Larry returns home only to discover he can help his fellow lemmings think for themselves just like he does.

This is a gorgeous story. Funny and heart-warming with a few thrills and spills to boot, it will have all readers cheering for Larry and eventually, the other lemmings too. Brilliantly drawn by Nicola Slater, it’s a joyful story with a wonderful message about being brave, standing out from the crowd and not worrying about thinking differently.

Find out more at www.johnbriggsbooks.net and www.goodillustration.com

Published by Pavilion Books

The Snow Lion by Jim Helmore and Richard Jones

This is a lovely tale about a little girl who needs a friend and some courage. Who better to help her than The Snow Lion? Caro and her mum have moved home and Caro is just a little bit lost in her new surroundings of bare white walls and no one to play with. As if by magic, a beautiful big white lion appears and soon Caro has made a new friend with whom she can play all day! And not only does he stop her from being lonely, the Snow Lion helps her find the courage to go outside and make new friends. As the gentle narrative unfolds, Caro’s new home isn’t so lonely anymore; it’s filled with colour – and friends! The Snow Lion quietly leaves but Caro will always know where to look for him…

Text and wonderful illustrations come together perfectly to create a charmingly touching story young readers will want to visit again and again. I loved the beautifully described friendship between the Snow Lion and Caro, and how he gently and ever so kindly encourages her to be brave. It’s reassuring to know that sometimes we all need a little comfort and how it’s very often finding a friend in unexpected places that can be just the thing!

Find out more www.stripyhorse.com and www.paintedmouse.com

Published by Simon & Schuster

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With thanks to Pavilion Books and Simon & Schuster for sending me these books to review!

Winter wonderland…20 sleeps till Christmas!

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With only twenty sleeps to go till Christmas Day, it’s really starting to feel festive! For the next few weeks in the run up to Christmas I’ll be featuring some gorgeous wintry and festive stories on the blog. Today we’re exploring some snowy landscapes!

Up and Down: A Walk in the Countryside with Nosy Crow and The National Trust, beautifully illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw, takes young readers on a walk through a snow covered landscape introducing them to the idea of opposites.

Two little walkers explore the woods and discover ‘up and down’, near and far and many other ‘opposites’, all the while enjoying getting close to nature.

Young readers will love to spot the various animals who live in the woods and all manner of festive creatures. There’s even a snowman! This is a great addition to the A Walk in the Countryside board book series and will have everyone wishing for snow!

Find out more at www.rosalindbeardshaw.com

Another wintry landscape is stunningly brought to life in this beautiful exploration of winter; Little Hazelnut by Anne-Florence Lemasson and Dominique Ehrhard. I literally gasped when I opened this book – there’s something utterly magical about pop-up books. Books like this make me love them even more! Little Hazelnut takes the reader on a journey with a variety of animals and birds venturing into the garden during winter.

Each page features a different animal pop up, with a charming narrative capturing the variety of life that appears in a garden in winter. The blue-tit is my favourite – just gorgeous! Simple but detailed, the artwork shows even the animals’ footprints as they navigate the snowy landscape. Little Hazelnut is an absolute delight and would make a lovely gift at Christmas time.

Find out more at Old Barn Books.