Snuggle up with your little ones and our favourite festive picks for kids, all free to borrow with your library card.
In London, in a winter which shows no sign of ending, a unique friendship begins. This is the story of Blessing, aged ten-and-a-half, and Albert Framlington, aged six hundred - an eccentric snowman who has seen many winters in many cities, and who is duty-bound by the Snowman Code to help any child in need. Together, Blessing and Albert must find a way to defeat Blessing's bullies, win back Albert's long-lost love Clementine, and even overcome the never-ending winter itself.
An illustrated treasury of activities and recipes to count down to and celebrate the magic of Christmas.
Glorious artwork combines with lyrical poetry in this Christmas-themed celebration of storytelling. Set in a sleepy town on Christmas Eve, the story begins with a conversation between a girl and her toy robot, who wants to know what's inside a human heart. Describing it as a series of rooms filled with storybooks, the girl sets about building the robot a heart of its own by telling stories about the quiet little town she calls home. With rich vocabulary and a rhythmical structure, this tender story has a powerful message that will warm the hearts of readers all year round.
From roller-skating to church, to carving decorations from radishes, there are so many surprising and wonderful traditions going on around the world at Christmas time. Young children can dip in at any page and enjoy the visual feast, whilst learning about different countries and cultures.
Enter the future where it's Christmas day - every day. Except, that is, on the Mince Pie Isles where a group of rebel witches live in secret, illegally celebrating just once a year and practising their sprout-based magic passed down through an old spell book from Guardian to Guardian. Gryla Garland is a young witch who thinks it might be quite nice to celebrate Christmas every day, just like everyone else. But when the hapless and accident-prone young witch is unexpectedly chosen as the next Guardian of the spell book, she discovers that 24/7 Christmas - governed by a tyrannical Santa - isn't all it's cracked up to be. Now she just has to think of a way to change it back.
Having set off to give Santa a hand in the run-up to Christmas, Mr Frumble leads him to believe that Christmas has come a day early. When Santa gets stuck in a chimney and the real night before Christmas arrives, Mr Frumble has to save the day.
Tonight, the sheep can't sleep. The pasture is floodlit by a strange new star and their shepherds have disappeared. They've probably been kidnapped by a UFO - or perhaps they've gone to see the child lying in a manger that everyone's talking about. The sheep decide to go too. What a surprise the shepherds will get, seeing their sheep turn up after such a long hike! But many pitfalls await an unruly flock in search of good tidings on their first night hike.
In this timeless and very funny collection of Christmas stories, Frog and Toad are always there for each other. Whether they are getting ready for winter sledging, sitting peacefully by the fire together, or trying to find spring around the corner, one thing's for sure, these two lovable characters really are the best of friends.
'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, save - CHRISTMAS TREE MOUSE! And she's on an important mission. A mission to help Santa! Every Christmas Eve, this tiny mouse brushes away Santa's snowy footprints, nibbles up the mince pie crumbs, and - most importantly - checks on her Santa HQ tablet that all the correct presents are under the tree. But when Christmas Tree Mouse discovers that baby Ola has received the wrong present, it's a CATASTROPHE! Can she use all her special training and determination to save the day? And might Santa himself make a special appearance? This charming and heartwarming picture book from Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho and debut illustrator Farah Shah offers a brilliantly funny sneak peek behind the scenes on the most magical night of the year.
We all know that Santa makes everyone's dreams come true every Christmas, but it turns out that he needs a little help getting into the holiday spirit himself. Instead of letting Santa get right back to work after he returns home to the North Pole on Christmas morning, his loyal elves want to make sure he experiences the same Christmas cheer he provides for others. With the perfect tree, lots of delicious treats, and, of course, presents, Santa experiences the magic of Christmas for the very first time.
Mr Santa, want to hear me play? Do the reindeer talk? And can I ride your sleigh? When a little girl comes face to face with Santa in her own house, she can hardly believe it! It's her golden opportunity to ask him the questions - all the many questions! - that she's been desperate to know. Can Santa eat clouds? Does he stop at traffic lights? Is his belly button innie or outie? With his signature warmth and visual humour, Jarvis channels the excitement and joy of every child who has dreamed of meeting the loveable guy who personifies the most magical night of the year.
Welcome aboard the Yo-Ho-Ho! The most festive ship on the sea. Did you know that Santa's elves once used to be fearsome PIRATES? But everything changes when they meet Captain Christmas, a jolly pirate who shows them that giving is better than taking, and soon has them sailing the world on Christmas Eve on a ship packed with presents for every child, no matter how big or small. Get ready to discover Santa as you've never seen him before. Happy Christmas, me hearties!
