Cat Family Christmas
Lucy Brownridge and Eunyoung Seo
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

There’s an olde world feel to this Christmas count down. We follow the Cat Family through the busy days in the run-up to the festival, right through to Christmas Eve in this lift-the-flap book.

With twelve days to go to the big day, after many hours working in town, Mummy Cat joins her kittens just back from school and Daddy Cat already there to welcome them, and then it’s all systems go. There’s so much to do: the first being putting up the decorations – a task for the kittens; then comes the baking of Christmas cake and mince pies – hmmm you can almost smell that lovely spicy aroma. While their parents write cards, the kittens write to Santa and the following day, the family go to meet Granny and Grandpa at the station. Next the Cat Family go out into the village to do some cat-a-carolling, “We fish you a meow Christmas and a tabby new year”. 

With six days to go, there’s a bit of garden harvesting needed of veggies for the Christmas feast and finally with all the last minute jobs done, it’s time for a snuggly Christmas Eve with the family and a regaling of Grandpa’s special story.

There’s seasonal cheer aplenty here with not a hint of a cross word or a tear and the family seemingly cruise through all the preparations. Eunyoung Seo’s scenes are bursting with detail and each spread has a plethora of small flaps to peep behind (careful handling required), where further details are revealed. This large format board book will last more than one season in contrast to the traditional advent calendar; moreover it’s something to share with your little ones.

Santa’s Christmas Countdown
Kath Jewitt and Sebastien Braun
Townhouse Publishing

Poor Santa! Having lost his list of jobs to do, he’s worked himself into such a state, till, lightbulb moment: he’s been doing them for so many years that surely he can now recall every single task. It’s surely worth a try so off he goes. First he checks the sleigh is clean and shiny; then there are all the presents to wrap and his own snacks to put in his food box. Singing jolly songs helps him get into the spirit of the season and of course, the reindeer must be well fed and their coats brushed. Good old elves, they’re at the ready for this job and more.

Then Santa works on himself: that entails donning his lucky socks and pants, some tonsorial treatment and then it’s time to get into his red outfit (heated of course). That done, he feeds his moggy, makes a hot chocolate, hitches the reindeer, loads the sleigh and Ho! Ho! Ho! off he jolly well goes on his round.

A touchy-feely, fun book for tinies with a rhyming text and Sebastien Braun’s bright, busy illustrations. It’s great to see a black, bespectacled Santa and a diverse team of elves too.