Once again, December has crept upon us, and as we search high and low for just the right gifts, there is no denying that books make great little packages under the tree! With so many titles to choose from, it seems an almost impossible task to make a shortlist, so why not focus on the very small window we have to indulge in Christmas-related books and look at a few that would easily fit into a Christmas stocking.
First on the list is The Christmas Truce by the British Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, a small and beautifully rewritten and illustrated version of that miraculous truce between the trenches on a cold winter’s night in 1914 where soldiers ceased fire and the magic of Christmas and a sense of peace became palpable in No Man’s Land.
We continue with two more lovely little books by Duffy featuring much loved classics and characters.
The first is Another Night Before Christmas where Duffy has reworked this Victorian Christmas classic with warmth, wit and imagination. Readers may also recognise the sophisticated, romantic and truly original illustrations by artist Rob Ryan.
Next we have an entertaining, contemporary tale about our friend Mrs Scrooge, who hates waste and consumerism. She worries about the state of the planet, she protests, recycles and buys second-hand, and one night at midnight, a cheerful ghost takes her by the hand.
Christmas would not be complete without Hercule Poirot’s Christmas in which Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective is called upon on Christmas Eve to investigate a murder. The tyrannical Simeon Lee has been found dead in his home with the entire Lee family present, and it seems that everyone had their own reason to hate the victim.
For our youngest friends we have a mini boxed set of Christmas Tales featuring four little board books to find in the stockings adapted from Richard Scarry’s Best Christmas Ever. Each brightly illustrated story spreads Christmas cheer and features Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm and the rest of the beloved Busytown characters.
Naturally, the popular Mr Men series also covers Christmas, here with Mr Men: the 12 Days of Christmas featuring Mr Muddle who just can’t seem to remember when Christmas is, so this year he has made a plan featuring many of the popular Mr Men and LIttle Miss characters to make sure he doesn’t forget.
We round up our list of Christmas books with a look at some of the traditions we celebrate this month. In The Truth About Christmas by Philip Ardagh you will find the answers to many of the questions we ask ourselves about the traditions we simply take for granted, such as who exactly was Saint Nicholas? Why do we kiss under the mistletoe? When was the first Christmas card sent? Who invented the advent calendar? Where do the flying reindeer come from?
Happy holidays and happy reading!
Isabella Mousavizadeh Smith is the owner of Books & Company, an English language book shop in Hellerup that prides itself on providing an interesting and diverse range of books, an excellent cup of coffee, and a warm and welcoming atmosphere. For more about Books & Company, please visit www.booksandcompany.com, facebook.com/booksandcompany or the shop at Sofievej 1.
