The Easter Chick

Text: Geraldine Elschner

Illustrations: Alexandra Junge

Year: 2003

Publisher: North-South Books, New York

Age: 4 - 8 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Books

ISBN:  978 0 73582 076 0

A little chick (yet to hatch!) has heard exciting things about Easter. She is determined to wait to hatch so she can be an Easter chick. It sounds like a fine idea except that no one knows when Easter is.

Max the owl comes to the rescue. The other animals at the farm learn when Easter is and how the day is decided. Of course, the farm is delighted to welcome a happy, Easter chick. 

Excerpt

The little chick counted down the days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

On Saturday night, there were three loud calls through the farmyard.

Whoooo hoooo!

Whoooo hoooo!

Whoooo hoooo!

Santasaurus

By Niamh Sharkey

Year: 2004

Publisher: Walker Books, London

Age: 4 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 84428 523 5

It’s a dinosaur universe. Predictably, there’s a Santasaurus and dinodeer during Christmas.

Ollie wishes for a dinobot, Molly asks for a dinocycle but Milo wishes to meet Santasaurus and fly in his sleigh.

All their wishes are fulfilled and Milo gets a memorable trip around the world. 

Excerpt

In the blink of a magic eye, Milo and Santasaurus shot up the chimney to the sleigh on the roof.

They flew up from the roof and over Dinosaur Town.

Just Right for Christmas

Text: Birdie Black

Illustrations: Rosalind Beardshow

Year: 2011

Publisher: Nosy Crow, London  

Age: 3 – 7 years

No. of Pages: 30

Book Type: Picture book, Paperback

ISBN: 978 0 85763 136 7

This is a cheery Christmas story of love and sacrifice. Christmas is also one of those times when miracles of kindness and friendship are born. And this book is about just that – an act of love sets off a chain reaction of selflessness and sharing.

On Christmas Eve, the king spots a roll of beautiful red cloth to make a cloak for his daughter. The maids leave the scraps outside which Jenny, the kitchen maid sews into a smart jacket for her mother. 

Bertie Badger finds her scraps and makes a hat for his father and leaves the cloth scraps outside his house. Samuel Squirrel finds them and makes a pair of gloves for his wife. His scraps are picked up by Milly Mouse who turns it into a scarf for her son Billy.

Everyone’s present feels just right…

We loved this book for its simple message of giving and sharing at Christmas time.

Excerpt

She snipped and she sewed and she snipped and she sewed and, by the time the candle had burnt down low, she’d made a cosy scarf for Billy.