Lovely children's books

[Chrisinthemorning]

Every year we get DS a nice book as a present on Christmas Eve, it's one of our traditions.
So far they have all been Christmas books- we've done Mog's Christmas, Lucy and Tom at Christmas, Jolly Christmas postman for example.
This year he's 5.6, and I'm struggling for ideas. I will be starting with the illustrated Harry Potter series sometime- one a year for quite a few years- but 5 is too young for HP I think?
Any ideas?

[AlbusPercival]

What about one of the wonderbly books?

[tiokiko]

We love A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig. It might work to bridge the gap between those picture books and Harry Potter.

The only thing is it's quite nice to read in the run up to Christmas. We've read it the past two years (DCs will be 6 and 9 this year) and read a chapter each night from 1 Dec (sometimes a few short chapters) so we finish on 24 Dec.

It's funny and sad and magical and Christmassy and I really love it.

[Chrisinthemorning]

Thanks both. A boy called Christmas is about a boy called Niklaus- my son is a Nicholas so that's a winner, thank you.

[Nokia3310]

This book is lovely
<a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Morpurgo-Christmas-Stories/dp/1405268956?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">//www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Morpurgo-Christmas-Stories/dp/1405268956?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21
Stunning illustrations.

[SpiritedLondon]

I presume you've read " A night before Chrismas"?

[Wayfarersonbaby]

Sounds like you have found one, though if you need another suggestion my DD is nearly 5 and this year I have got her Richard Curtis's The Empty Stocking

[tiokiko]

There's also a follow up called The Girl Who Saved Christmas so if he likes the first one you're sorted for next year too!

They do both have sad bits (parents dying ) but both our DCs were ok with that and overall they've remembered the adventures, funny bits and magic so I think definitely A
age-appropriate if you're reading with them.

[d270r0]

I got my then 5 and a half year old ds the first illustrated harry potter last year for christmas. He was too young to read it himself but we read it to him a bit every night and he enjoyed it. We aren't going to get him the second one yet though as its quite a bit scarier. So while you could get it this year, if you want to do successive years it might be better holding off for a year or two.

[Branleuse]

Mine loved Iggy Peck Architect and Rosie Revere engineer at that age. Still do

[d270r0]

I'd suggest a lovely hardback usbourne illustrated stories book. My ds loved his at the same age and the stories have been read and reread many times, including, more recently, by him.

[ladymariner]

"The Christmas Miracle of Jonathon Twoomey"....beautiful story, gorgeous illustrations

[Fluffysparks]

I would get him into the proper HP books when he's 7/8, rather than one a year, because if he gets into it he'll probably end up googling the storyline or watching the films at a friend's without having the chance to properly read them

[macnab]

Oh we read The Empty Stocking every Christmas and I always blub at the end of it. Such a lovely story.
Thanks for all the other suggestions on this thread!

[OrlandaFuriosa]

And so that he knows the Christmas story, Jan Pienkowski's superbly illustrated Christmas (there's an elephant at the end..).

In due course A Christmas Carol.. 8/9?

[Stompythedinosaur]

I like The Tomten and The Tomten and The Fox by Astrid Lingham. They are beautiful books.

[MsMarple]

Christian Birmingham does absolutely gorgeous illustrations - one of his picture books would be lovely for a special Christmas Eve gift. My favourite is <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/Wenceslas-Geraldine-McCaughrean/dp/0385605358/?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">Wenceslas

But his <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Before-Christmas-Book-CD/dp/0007265603?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">Night Before Christmas is lovely too. Or the Snow Queen, or The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - both have snowy spreads.

[BeaLola]

Apart from all the great suggestions above The Polar Express - I think Book People are doing an anniversary edition plus cd

[Chrisinthemorning]

Some fab suggestions on this thread, thank you.
I have ordered a boy called Christmas- it was only £4 in hardback with prime, so a Christmas bargain also!
We need to get DS into Harry Potter, if only the first book, by the time he's 8 because we're planning a Florida holiday doing Universal not Disney that year. He'll probably get the illustrated Philosophers stone Christmas 2019, so we'll have one more year after this.
We do have lots of Christmas books anyway including Night before Christmas and several nativity story ones.
You can never have too many books - right?

[Kittenswithattitudeandchickens]

Not so much lovely but really funny - The dinosaur that pooped Christmas, written by two of the guys from McFly.

[EmGee]

I've just bought 'A boy called Christmas' so thanks for the rec. There is also the follow up 'The girl who saved Christmas' which gets good reviews also. I will be buying this Christmas the following year if A boy called Christmas goes down well with my two DDs.

Another book I got a few years ago which was recommended on here is <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/Story-Holly-Ivy-Puffin-Books/dp/0140305092/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506416450&sr=1-2&keywords=holly%20and%20ivy%20rumer%20godden&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">'The Story of Holly and Ivy' by Rumer Godden which is a very sweet tale of an orphaned girl, an unwanted doll and a lonely woman!

[Holliewantstobehot]

I second the story of holly and ivy. I used to read it to my kids every Christmas. It's such a magical story.

[OrlandaFuriosa]

I love Hollie and Ivy too

[OrlandaFuriosa]

The Pienkowski is delicate silhouettes v marbled background. Exquisite.

[ScaryMonstersAndSuoerCreeps]

He's probably too old but <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/Father-Christmas-Needs-Nicholas-Allan/dp/186230825X?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">Father Christmas Needs A Wee is great!!