A Christmas gift guide...great books for kids of all ages...

Yes, I'm afraid so. Christmas is upon us. I really love Christmas. It is, of course, the most wonderful time of the year! But I realise that not everyone feels the same as me. And finding good gifts can be stressful. With a 6-year-old in the house, I am always on the search for books to inspire and encourage a love books in my son. I thought it would be a nice idea to share some wonderful books - both fiction and factual - that would make excellent gifts for the little one in your life this festive season...

The Land of Roar by Jenny Mclachlan

I've recently finished reading this with my son and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Arthur and his sister, Rose, are staying with their Grandad and, while helping with a clear out, they remember a game they used to play where they climbed through the fold up sofa bed in the attic and ended up in the imaginary land of Roar. But when Grandad vanishes, they discover that maybe Roar wasn't just in their imaginations. They must re-discover the secrets of Roar, and reacquaint themselves with some long-forgotten friends, in order to rescue Grandad from the evil Scarecrow, Crowky. It's a thrilling read and full of lovely details. The Land of Roar itself is beautifully realised. A sequel is on the way in Autumn 2020 and the occupants of this house will definitely be jumping back in to explore more of the world of Roar ASAP.

****

Wild Lives by Ben Lerwill

This book is a real treat. There are 50 animals included and each one of them has lived an extraordinary life making history in one way or another. With superbly engaging text and an abundance of lovely illustrations and photographs, this book tells you how. There are some very heartwarming stories here which really underline the connection between humans and animals. I find most kids love animals - it’s a kind of intrinsic instinct. This book will help nurture and encourage children to love and respect animals for the rest of their lives, hopefully. Many of the animals featured will likely be familiar to you - such as Keiko the Orca who featured in the Free Willy film and Dolly the cloned sheep. There are other more obscure and unusual entries such as Zarafa the Giraffe who was sent to Paris as a gift to the King of France, Trakr the dog who found the last survivor of 9/11 (a subject matter handled with great sensitivity given the intended audience) and Sergeant Stubby the stray dog who became a war hero (we also went on to enjoy the animated movie about this little fella - a great little film with some very famous voices).

****

An Anthology of Intriguing Animals by Ben Hoare

We adore this book in our house. Not least because of its beautiful sprayed edges which are an opulent gold - just right for the festive season. It's chock-full of all kinds of weird and wonderful animals. The lovely illustrations and oversize photographs make this a great book to dip in and out of - a brilliant way to encourage independent reading. A companion book, Wonders of Nature, was released earlier this year. It's definitely on our wishlist for Father Christmas this year.

****

I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree

This beautifully illustrated collection, published by the National Trust, came out last year, I think. It provides a poem to read every day of the year. All the poems have a nature theme and are grouped around the seasons and months of the year. The illustrations are perfect and the enjoyment to be had is never-ending (how apt) - once you get to the end of the year, you simply turn back to the front and start again. We've hugely enjoyed our daily dose of poetry over the course of 2019! I must be getting old because I've always had a fairly strong aversion to poetry in all all forms. I was put off by having to study Seamus Heaney at school which I did NOT find enjoyable in the least. But this collection has sparked something in me and I intend to seek out some more grown-up poetry to explore in 2020 (any suggestions very welcome - please leave any thoughts in the comments below...)

****

The Harry Potter books illustrated by Jim Kay

So far, the first four Harry Potter books have been re-published in these spectacular illustrated editions which really bring the stories to life for younger readers. We're currently about three-quarters of the way through the first one and, I must say, the writing is a lot better than I recall from when I first read the series all those years ago. The films had kind of replaced the books in my mind and revisiting The Philosopher's Stone has brought back all the detail that inevitably got missed in the transfer to the silver screen. We particularly like the drawings of Diagon Alley - loads of detail and interesting things to spot - and the descriptions of how to play quidditch!

****

The Snowman by Michael Morpurgo

Christmas just isn't Christmas without The Snowman. I just love everything about it. I love the recent sequel, too. The brilliant Andy Burrows did a marvellous job of creating some wonderfully festive music for the soundtrack of The Snowman and the Snowdog. If you've not seen the sequel, you definitely should. It's bound to be on over Christmas at some point. Don't forget to highlight it in your copy of the Radio Times! This novel is written by Michael Morpurgo who, of course, wrote War Horse (among many others). The original storybook (and cartoon) has no words, if you remember. It's a brilliant idea to turn this simple tale of friendship and loss into a full novel. The illustrations by Robin Shaw are lovely and very evocative of the original Raymond Briggs drawings. A very festive treat!

****

The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris

This book is HUGE. So, perhaps, not one for reading in bed! The idea behind this book is best described by the author:

Once upon a time, words began to vanish from the language of children. They disappeared so quietly at first almost no-one noticed: acorn, adder, bluebell, bramble, conker - gone!

 The book is described as a spell book for conjuring back these lost words. What follows is a series of poems and hidden words all accompanied by the most breathtakingly beautiful illustrations you could ever imagine. These are made all the more striking by the size of the book itself.

If you like this, then seek out the accompanying Spell Songs album and book. I'll leave you with a gorgeous video of one of the tracks from the Spell Songs album. This might be the most relaxing five minutes viewing you've had in a long time.

I'd love to hear what children's books you'd recommend. Let me know in the comments section below...

Merry Christmas!