Christmas Challenge Dec 10th - The Book of Kringle:Legend of the North Pole

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. .