This vibrant picture book from Vivian French and Nigel Baines deals with many of the arguments that kids (& adults!)  put up to avoid reading - 'I don't have time' "I'm too old for pictures' 'Reading is hard' etc. The illustrations are full of life, colour and humour, I particularly liked the horse librarian but I hope it wasn't suggesting librarians are nags! Excellent reading encouragement from the first page to the last with some very valid points made, such as the need for kids to be able to see themselves in books - much better representation is needed of disabilities, all types of families, cultures and religions. This book should be in every primary school library/classroom and it's humorous tone would go down well in lower secondary too. Championing of comics throughout which really gets my seal of approval! All types of reading whether digital or paper are approved of in the books pages and the illustrations show every type and age of person you could think of along with some very cute animals. Nods to Harry Potter and Star Wars made me smile. All in all I just love this book and can thoroughly recommend it. 

During a storm a dove looking for somewhere to lay her eggs asks for and gets shelter from a small Christmas tree on a Christmas tree farm. The tree happily shelters her and her children but in doing so his trunk grows crooked and no one wants to use him in their houses. All of his friends are cut down and taken away and he spends a very lonely winter all on his own. The dove brings her family back to visit an then eventually the tree is dug up and replanted in a garden with many other trees around him. The trees are not friendly to him and look down on him but when winter comes he is the only tree that is still green and the people that live in the house decorate him with ligts and baubles. On Christmas Eve people gather round to sing around his trunk and the dove comes back and alights on the top of him. His kindess means he will be able to live for many years in the garden without being chopped down.

The paper creations that form the illustrations for this book are beautiful and very well crafted and the story is heartwarming and novel. 

Young puppy Oliver isn't very happy to be left alone in the house on Christmas Eve whilst his family visit gran in hospital. The house is too dark and quiet without them, but the the pup heears a noise - thump thump thump - and bravely decides to explore and find out where the noise is coming from. Upstairs he finds presents on the bed and bravely attacks them and then he 'sees off' the snowman he can see out of the window. The noise doesn't stop so he investigates in the kitchen but all he finds is a large cold thing (turkey) on the table that he pulls down on to the floor before it can jump on him! In the lounge he has a fight with the Christmas tree but when he finally arrives in the dining room he finds......Santa who gives him a juicy bone, just before his family arrive home.

A gentle story, children would identify with the puppy's fears and the way he mistakes everyday objects as monsters. The illustrations use muted colours that portray the evening light very well and Oliver is just adorabel, dog lovers would just melt at the pictures of him. 

The gorgeous, jewel coloured full page illustrations bring this child's festive story to vibrant life. It is a tale about the origins of Santa Claus with a lovely message about each person having a special talent that is not always immediately obvious thrown in. In a far away land on top of the world King Kringle rules over the elves and allows no laughter, play or celebration of Christmas. The only person who can release them from this tyranny is the king's brother, Kris, who is the complete opposite of his sibling and is gentle and kind. 

The text is a bit longer than we usually expect ina picture book but its still short enough to be read as a bedtime story. The pictures are definitely what makes this tale special and they certainly help to keep your interest. . The illustrations have a painterly quality and are so detailed that it's almost impossible to take it all in on your first reading. There's so much to see on each page that the inevitable rereadings would be a delight instead of the usual chore, the book is just beautiful. .