Favourite Christmas Tales

The Night Before Christmas Clement C. Moore
The first Christmas Retold by Gaby Goldsack
A Christmas Carol Retold by Gaby Goldsack>
The twelve days of Christmas by Unknown
My favourite Christmas Tales’ is a truly delightful boxed set that will add a wonderful festive touch to any story time over the Christmas season. ‘The First Christmas’ tells of the story of the birth of Jesus which has been retold in verse, ‘A Christmas Carol’, the fabulous story of Ebenezer Scrooge is also retold in verse. ‘The Night before Christmas’, the wonderfully traditional Christmas rhyme and ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ are written as we know and love them in their original poetry and song formats.
I have just loved reading these books, as of course they are all incredibly well known Christmas tales, and certainly ones that I have grown up with, and enjoyed over many (too many!) years. I’m really looking forward to reading them with my children over the next few weeks. Written as they are, as poetry or song, they are really easy to read and I know the boys will want to join in along the way!
I think what has really sold me on these books are the wonderful illustrations by Caroline Pedler. I think they are beautiful and really ‘set the scene’ on each page. I love her warm and friendly Santa Claus in ‘The night before Christmas’ and the various ‘French hens’, ‘swans a swimming’ and ‘lords a leaping’ really add fun and interest to ‘The twelve days of Christmas’.
I’m a great one for tradition, especially setting Christmas traditions for our family and I think I shall be setting another one as these books will definitely come out each year for us to gather round together and enjoy.
Verdict: These books will put you in a very glowy Christmas mood!
Reviewed by Lesley