A Present For Father Christmas by David Wood Book Review
DISCLOSURE -THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Lindsay Burton
I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Present for Father Christmas. It is a lovely little Christmas story with a beautiful message about being kind, considering other people and, most importantly, that giving can be just as special as receiving, sometimes even more so.
The story is about Sam, who has a dream about Father Christmas and starts thinking about something that most children probably would not think about — and that is, who gives Father Christmas a present? After all, he spends Christmas giving presents to children all over the world, but we never hear of anyone giving him anything in return.
Sam decides that she wants to change that.
I thought this was such a lovely concept for a children’s story. At Christmas, children naturally get extremely excited about what they are going to get on the big day and they will tell everyone who will listen what they’ve asked for, so I really liked that this book encourages them to think about someone else too.
Sam decides to save her pocket money during the year and writes a letter to Father Christmas asking him to come and collect his gift. I really enjoyed this part because it shows that she has actually put thought and effort into what she is doing. It is not just about going out and buying something expensive which is all too often what a lot of people do this time of the year.
There is also plenty of Christmas magic throughout the story, which I think children will love. The suspicion of Sam possibly meeting the real Father Christmas makes the story exciting and keeps you wondering what is going to happen.
I think one of the appealing things about the book is its message. It teaches children that you don’t have to spend lots of money or buy something incredible to make someone cheerful. Sometimes it is the consideration behind a present that matters most.
I can see this being a lovely bedtime story in the run-up to Christmas or even in my Year 3 class this year, they will love this read to them during December. It would also be a nice book for parents, grandparents or teachers to read with children and then talk about kindness, sharing and giving.
The story is easy to follow and is not too complicated, which makes it suitable for younger children. It has that lovely magical Christmas feeling without losing the simple message behind it. Some children in my class would be able to read this themselves or to a younger sibling.
Generally, I thought A Present for Father Christmas was a really sweet and feel-good Christmas story.
I would definitely recommend it as a nice addition to a child’s Christmas book collection or for any child in the run-up to Christmas (I’ve added mine to my class Christmas collection) or even a book that could be added to a Christmas Eve box. I rate this book as 5/5. It currently retails at £7.99 and can be purchased from https://bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/picture-books/a-present-for-father-christmas
Rating: 5/5