Claire Saxby (text), Janine Dawson (illus.), Christmas At Home, Five Mile Press, Sept 2016, 24pp., $16.95 (hbk), ISBN: 9781760402952
‘O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, let’s decorate your branches’, begins Christmas at Home. It is immediately apparent that this is a book that is meant to be sung. Unlike traditional versions of ‘O Tannenbaum’ there is no snow in sight, instead we are presented with pictures and text which capture a more typical Australian Christmas with presents, Christmas-light drive-bys, friends and family, feasting outside and sleeping in tents.
Christmas at Home is a wonderful book to read or sing aloud with children. The busy cartoon-style illustrations are fun and create a sense of joy and festivity. There is a multicultural element to this book also, with different families and traditions being depicted.
I would recommend this book for children two-years of age and older. It is perfect for reading or singing in the lead up to Christmas and would be particularly appropriate for group-time in early childhood settings.
Reviewed by Rebecca Blakeney
