‘Tis the season to curl up with a new book – whether it’s for the animal-lover, the child who loves to laugh, or the whole family to share, there’s a book for everyone this Christmas! Read on to discover our festive recommendations.
Something for the animal-lover… WildLives: 50 Extraordinary Animals that Made History, written by Ben Lerwill and illustrated by Sarah Walsh.
Stunningly illustrated beautifully written, this amazing collection contains the stories of fifty extraordinary animals that made history. With quotes about each of the animals, fascinating facts, beautiful photographs, and gorgeous artwork throughout, this brilliant book will engage, entertain and inspire animal-lovers everywhere.
Written by Ben Lerwill and illustrated by Sarah Walsh – the artist behind HerStory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook the World – this is a wonderful gift for children to enjoy, parents to pour over, and for the whole family to treasure.
Take a peek inside the book:
Something for the child who likes mix-up mayhem… Flip Flap Frozen, by Axel Sheffler.
What do you get if you cross a narwhal with a reindeer? It’s a nardeer, of course! And how about a penguin with a beluga? Why, that’s a penuga! With over 121 possible creations, silly names and strange noises to make you giggle, this new Flip Flap book is perfect for preschoolers and ideal for animal fans. With a hilarious rhyming text and brilliant illustrations from Axel Scheffler, simply flip the pages to create some seriously silly mixed-up creatures from frozen lands.
Fun and educational, this wintery animal book is the perfect gift for little ones to learn about animals in a light-hearted way!
Something for the child who loves to laugh… Icarus Was Ridiculous, written by Pamela Butchart and illustrated by Thomas Flintham.
Izzy LOVES all the stories the Ancient Greeks told! She can’t wait to tell her friends all about Icarus, who was a TOTAL NUMPTY, and flew so close to the sun his wings MELTED! And then there’s King Midas and all his GOLD, and Narcissus, who fell in love with HIS OWN FACE!
Pull up a plinth and enjoy all the DRAMA of the original Greek myths in these four retellings. This ninth instalment in the hilarious, award-winning Baby Aliens series features laugh-out-loud stories – and is a brilliant way for young readers to learn about Ancient Greece while still having a lot of fun!
Read an excerpt from the book below:
Something for the adventurer… National Trust: 2020 Nature Month-By-Month: A Children’s Almanac, written by Anna Wilson and illustrated by Elly Jahnz.
For the little adventurer who loves nature and exploring, the 2020 Children’s Almanac is the perfect gift this Christmas. Packed with all the brilliant things you can see, make, and do with this amazing month-by-month guide to the year – featuring spotter guides, activities, celebrations, festivities, tips for budding gardeners, and tasty recipes!
A wonderful gift to treasure over the coming year, this gorgeous almanac, which has been updated with one third new material and revised design throughout, will encourage young readers to connect with nature and the world around them.
And here’s a preview of the book:
Something for the curious baby… Where’s Santa Claus, by Ingela P Arrhenius.
If you’ve been looking for a Christmas book for your baby or toddler, then look no further! With five beautifully illustrated spreads, a series of friendly Christmassy creatures, and soft felt flaps to peek behind, this is a wonderful book to share with very little ones. And if they fall in love with this one, there is a whole series of award-winning Felt Flap books to enjoy – take a look at the full series here.
You can take a look at two of the latest Felt Flap books in the video below:
Something for the child who likes to curl up with a classic… Heidi, retold by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Briony May Smith.
Introduce a classic to a new generation this Christmas with this stunning edition of Heidi. Just like the first two Nosy Crow Classics, The Velveteen Rabbit and Peter Pan, this book is a stunning physical object as well as a wonderful story – published in a beautiful cloth hardback format, complete with specially-foiled jacket, luxurious paper, and a ribbon marker. If you’re looking for a truly special gift, a book to treasure and share this Christmas, then this book is for you.
When five-year-old orphan Heidi is sent to live in the Swiss Alps with grumpy Grandpa, the rest of the village take pity on her. But Heidi soon discovers that her grandpa is gentle and kind behind his scowl, and she loves her new life running wild in the mountains with the goats, the flowers and her best friend Peter. That is, until Heidi is forced to move far away to the soot and smoke of Frankfurt to be the companion to an unwell girl. Will she ever return to her true home in the mountains?
A digital preview does not begin to do this book justice, but here’s a look inside the book:
Something for the young eco-warrior… Earth Heroes, by Lily Dyu.
For the young eco-warrior or aspiring climate activist, this inspiring collection about how individual people are saving the planet is the ultimate gift. From Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough to Isatou Ceesay and Yin Yuzhen, each story is a beacon of hope in the fight for the future of our planet!
When faced with climate change, the biggest threat that our planet has ever confronted, it’s easy to feel as if nothing you do can really make a difference… but this book proves that individual people can change the world. With twenty inspirational stories celebrating the pioneering work of a selection of Earth Heroes from all around the globe, this book proves that one person, no matter how small, can make a difference. And that above all, working together is how we solve the climate crisis.
Take a look inside this fascinating and timely new book:
And something for the whole family to share… I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree, selected by Fiona Waters and illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon.
For those keen to introduce children to poetry, this is a beautiful gift for the whole family to enjoy at Christmas. This lavishly illustrated collection of 366 nature poems – one for every day of the year – features familiar favourites and new discoveries, written by poets including John Agard, William Blake, Emily Dickinson, Carol Ann Duffy, Robert Frost, Christina Rossetti, William Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, and many more.
A breathtaking compendium of words and pictures that beg to be read and cherished, I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree will soon become a family favourite that is poured over at the beginning, or end, of every day.
Here’s a look inside this sumptuous collection:
We hope this list has given you some book inspiration! What books are on your Christmas wishlist this year?
