ONE CHRISTMAS NIGHT by M CHRISTINA BUTLER (With illustratons by TINA MACNAUGHTON.)SOURCE: A 2013 Christmas present.
BACK COVER BLURB: Christmas is near - but Little Hedgehog has forgotten to get presents for his friends, and his house isn't sparkly and Christmassy at all! Hedgehog sets off into the forest to find gifts, but the night is cold and the woods are growing dark ...
FIRST SENTENCE: It was nearly Christmas and Little Hedgehog just could not wait.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: At last the snow stopped, and a bright moon peeped above the trees. Pale blue shadows flitted here and there as Little Hedgehog huffed and puffed through the snow.
MY THOUGHTS: A lovely little story made all the more festive by the liberal use of glittery illustrations. What I really liked about this book was the fact that Little Hedgehog looked to nature to decorate his home and provide presents for his friends.
FATHER CHRISTMAS AND THE DONKEY by ELIZABETH CLARK.SOURCE: A charity shop buy.
BACK COVER BLURB: It's a cold Christmas Eve and a lonely, lame donkey is looking for a warm place to rest. Suddenly he hears the sound of sleigh-bells and galloping hoofs. Who could it be but Father Christmas? And Father Christmas has thought of a special present for the old donkey, the best kind of present of all.
FIRST SENTENCE {Page 2}: It was Christmas Eve and the night was very quiet and still.
MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 18}: But mostly Father Christmas walked beside the donkey with his hand resting on the donkey's shoulder, just where the dark cross-mark showed on the shaggy, mouse-coloured coat.
MY THOUGHTS: A wonderfully traditional story, my favourite Christmas read of 2014 ... so far, made all the more charming by the simplicity of the story with its message that sometimes the best gifts are those that are given freely.
With beautiful illustrations simply done in monotone with a sparse use of silver hi-lighting there really is something incredibly memorising about the whole book.
6 comments:
The hedgehog on the cover is adorable! Both of these picture books sound lovely, Tracy. You have done very well with the Christmas Spirit reading challenge.
These sound delightful and the first is perfect for you! I love the little hedgehog on the cover.
Given we use to have donkeys and I had a favorite photo of the cross on Buster's back, the second sounds quite good, too.
I love illustrated books! Plus it has your hedgies in it! This sounds perfect for the season!
Oh I'm so in live with the first cover! It's soooo cute! Sweet chrismas read.
The cover of One Christmas Night alone makes me want to get this for some children I know. In fact I like it so much that I want to put it on my coffee table!
Hi Tracy, they both sound adorable, but I feel sure the hedgehog one would be my favourite. Have a wonderful Christmas, Barbara
Post a Comment