Christmas Books
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I always wonder how popular UK books are in the US. Do you know of The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (or The Snowman and the Snowdog)? They are really beautiful (wordless) picturebooks. They are also shown on british TV every year as an animated film.
What are your favourite seasonal books?
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@geekinm I watched this every year growing up as a child - absolutely spectacular I'd say!
I'm incredibly fond of the illustrated Polar Express, of course. And then there's Tolkien's Father Christmas Letters - which, although not a picture book, has many many beautiful illustrations!
Happy reading
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@geekinm I have always loved The Snowman book. I actually was just watching it with my daughter two nights ago
I have not heard of the other one, I will have to look it up. -
@geekinm Jan Brett's The Mitten is one of my favorites.
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@ashleegoovaerts I have never actually read the Polar Express although my son has watched the film about a hundred times and we went to see it at the cinema last weekend for his birthday. I think I might actually get him the book for Christmas! Thanks
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@Frogpunzel Thank you I have never heard of Jan Brett. l have managed to order her book at the library so I'm looking forward to reading that when it arrives.
Raymond Briggs also did a book called Father Christmas which is in a comic book style and is just lovely. The follow up Father Christmas goes on Holiday is very funny too.
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I think one of the best festive books in recent years is The Empty Stocking by Richard Curtis and Rebecca Cobb.
It is a very sweet story.
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Oooh my all-time favourite is The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Alan Ahlberg. That book is just bloody magical.
I've just been browsing Christmassy picture books and there was one in the library called THAT Christmas which is illustrated by Rebecca Cobb and the illustrations are just beautiful! Definitely check that out if you can, it's about a bunch of kids who are left overnight with an older kid babysitting them and then because there's a storm the parents can't get back for Christmas so the kid's Christmas that year is a little bit more manic. But the illos are just amazing.
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@helenbrady The Jolly Postman is a classic but you have to make sure that it gets put back in the right place!
I had forgotten about That Christmas - a great book.
Last night we read Clarice Bean Think Like An Elf which is a longer read but I love Lauren Child's collage style of illustration. (I saw some of her original illustrations on display earlier in the year and it was so interesting to see the pieces up close).
I have also had Jim's Spectacular Christmas (Emma Thompson / Axel Scheffler) and The Grumpus (Alex T Smith) delivered today. Both new this year.
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@geekinm The Snowman was (and still is) my all time favorites, and the animation with the score is so good, even now, in its very humble style.
I actually played it while drawing the other day because of the way it feels. Thank you for this post 
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@geekinm I've never heard of that book! I'm going to look it up. My favorites have always been How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss, The Polar Express (the book's better than the movie, as usual), and a 1989 version of "The Night Before Christmas," illustrated by Cheryl Harness that we used to read on Christmas Eve when I was a kid. The illustrations are magical!
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@kirsten-mcg Love the Polar Express! They should not have made the movie. I would rather sit with the book, study the illustrations...
Richard Scarry's Best Christmas Book Ever! Love his simple style
Erin Richardson
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www.erinrichardsondesigns.com -
@kirsten-mcg You have to read The Snowman it is so beautiful. I can also recommend Father Christmas and Father Christmas Goes on Holiday also by Raymond Briggs. It's very British - "Blooming Christmas" it's wonderful - he's slightly grumpy!
I love The Night Before Christmas but it does have to be the 1980 version - my parents always read it to me on Christmas Eve and now I read it to my boys. We have a couple of versions but the 1980 is by far the best.
I had seen The Grinch and last year we got the book.
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@ArtistErin I forgot about Richard Scarry's Best Christmas Book Ever! It's been a long time since I've read it. I'll have to see if our library has it. Have you seen his Cars and Trucks and Things that Go? Another favorite...but not a Christmas book.
And I completely agree about Polar Express...except that I really love "Believe" from the ending credits. Best part of the movie!
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@geekinm I'm going to get The Snowman for our public library! We have a program where patrons can order books for our libraries, which is so nice when there's not a book in the system that I really want. They already have Father Christmas, so I will get that one for sure.
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Speaking of snowmen books! These are some of the books that sparked my loved of kid's books as both a child and adult:
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@Kristen-Lango Thanks for this tip. I have never heard of these books but I found them on you tube. We will enjoy those later!
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I think our favourite find this year has to be One Christmas Wish by Katherine Rundell and illustrated by Emily Sutton. Lovely book!
