One Snowy Christmas Eve
Marc Bratcher and Korky Paul
UCLAN Publishing

It all begins one snowy Christmas Eve with a man lying in his bed who suddenly has a terrific idea. Up he gets and out he goes, down the hill and into the village in his wheelchair. So thick is the snow that its wheels gets stuck and the man, push though he does with all his might, just cannot shift his wheelchair.. Out come the villagers, lamps blazing to see a man whose whiskers have turned white asking for assistance. Perhaps if they put runners on his chair, it might be able to move and this they do,

also wrapping him in a thick red coat and hat and putting boots on his feet. They also inquire what the fellow is doing and then the children notice the sack of toys on the back of his chair. A note is sent into the town, the townsfolk appear to help him on his way but hauling a sledge is NOT easy; something else in the form of reindeer – rather a lot of them – might just do the trick though. At last with an enormous whoosh, the man and his present-filled sleigh take to the air ready to spread goodwill all over the world.
What a wonderful story of a differently abled Santa is this one.

The author has cerebral palsy, and a powerful imagination that he puts to good use generously sprinkling tenderness and humour through his festive rhyming narrative. Korky Paul, whose humorous detailed style many will recognise from Winnie the Witch books has created the vibrant scenes for this festive book – the perfect complement for the words. I look forward to seeing more from this debut author.