Christmas Book Review: Christmas Poems chosen by Gaby Morgan

 

I like a Christmas book and its about now I reach for a suitably festive read.  One of the books I have been dipping into over the last couple of weeks is this book of Christmas poems I picked up a few weeks ago.  Its a lovely collection.  The Poems have all been selected by Gaby Morgan from Macmillan Children’s books and so as you might imagine there are lots of poems which would appeal to children. Each poem is illustrated with a suitably Christmassy drawing by Axel Scheffler.  Any one who has read The Gruffalo or any of Julia Donaldson other books will instantly recognise Axel Scheffler’s style of drawing.  His illustrations are friendly and characterful.  From a rather large nosed Father Christmas to perky reindeer and doleful donkeys, there is something instantly familiar about his pictures.

There are poems in here most of us will recognise such as ‘A visit from St Nicholas’ or ’twas the night before Christmas as it is more well known, as well as poems which many of us will be more familiar with singing as Christmas Carols such as ‘It came upon the midnight clear’.  There are also lots of poems which may be less familiar,  particularly some of the more contemporary ones.  ‘fr xmas txt msg’ by Mike Harding made me laugh and will appeal to any one of the texting generation or those of us who struggle with the half language that the proficient texting generation succumb to.

where r u? mrsx

lost. frx

where lost? mrsx

fi nu I wunt b lost. frx

nt funny. dinner n’ly redi. mrsx

And so it continues , but you get the idea.

This is a great book to dip into.  If you have the kind of family where reciting poetry at a Christmas soirée is the done thing then this is a great book to have up your sleeve, or in your stocking.  This is equally good for reading to, or with children or just to yourself with a Christmas tipple and a mince pie.  I have just been reading it while sipping some damson liqueur, they both went down equally well!

Previous Christmas books I have recommended can be found here and here.

Which Christmas books would you recommend?