Christmas Books on Today with Claire Byrne

Ag Buzzáil sa Ghairdín by Áine Ní Ghlinn and Mr Ando (0+)

This new book from our current Laureate na nÓg Áine Ní Ghlinn and Andrew Whitson, styled as Mr Ando, would be a lovely gift for a first Christmas. A simple poem about a bee in the garden, this is a rhythmic, rhyming picturebook that is so satisfying to read with al it’s Bzzzzz sounds! The illustration style with its bright colours and chunky black outlines will appeal to fans of Lucy Cousins’ Maisy series, or the Mr Men and Little Miss books. We know a lot of parents who want to speak a few words of Irish in the home even if their own rusty bit of Gaeilge hasn’t been called on since they were at school, and this would be a lovely place to start.

Be Wild Little One by Olivia Hope, illustrated by Daniel Egneus (age 2+)

This is a very, very beautiful and uplifting picturebook. It has the feel of an instant classic, and an endorsement from the late Shirley Hughes on the cover, which feels very fitting. Olivia’s writing is just soaring and joyful and free, perfectly matched with Daniel Egneus’ illustrations. It’s all about celebrating the wildness in all of us, and the beauty of the world all around us. The illustrations are a journey through pine forests and mountains, from sparkling seas to starry skies. One to buy, keep and reread for a very long time.

Míp agus Blípín by Máire Zepf, illustrated by Paddy Donnelly (age 2+)

Paddy Donnelly is surely the busiest and most prolific illustrator on the planet. But I want to highlight this gorgeous picturebook which has *such* heart. It’s the follow up to Míp, the story of a robot sent to Mars to look for alien life, and send pictures back to Earth. In Míp agus Blípín, the scientists back on Earth send a surprise birthday present to Míp: Blípín – a tiny, shiny, cute little flying robot – a companion for Míp. But her excitement fades fast when there’s a new robot on her turf. In the end, can they work together to find the aliens Míp was sent to look for? This fabulous Irish language picturebook will have lots of young readers falling for these two robot besties.

Once Upon a Fairytale by Natalia and Lauren O’Hara (age 3+)

This book is Choose Your Own Adventure for little ones – it’s a slim picturebook which gives its reader the power to make choices that shape the story on almost every spread. You don’t have to turn to another page, as you used to do with the old 80s Choose Your Own Adventure books, but the reader is given 4 or 5 options per section. Perfect for fans of the You Choose series by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart, this puts the child reader firmly in charge! The O’Hara sisters are an incredibly talented duo – you can buy signed first editions of their books as well as prints from children’s book specialist Tales for Tadpoles, in Drury Street, Bray or online.

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The Bedtime Book of Impossible Questions by Isabel Thomas, illustrated by Aaron Cushley (age 7+)

This book is absolutely mind-blowing, and I would have loved it as a child. It’s full of the questions kids are always asking – though disappointingly not the most recent one I was asked by my own kids, which is whether there are more pigeons or seagulls in our world. Great question. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer, so the author gives a few hypotheses and asks some questions back, explaining that questioning is what science is all about. SO many kids now are interested in science, taking STEM classes after school from a young age, or just curious and asking questions. This is a brilliant way to explore those questions with them (and to learn a few new things as an adult, too!).

The Bad Guys – episodes 15 and 16 by Aaron Blabey (age 5+)

This series by Australian author-illustrator Aaron Blabey, is now on it’s 16th story. It’s about Mr Wolf (aka Big Bad Wolf), Mr Piranha, Mr Snake and Mr Shark, a Reservoir Dogs style pack of wise guys who used to be in the business of eating people up, but have changed their ways, and come together to use their power for good. It’s a series of slapstick adventures, with two stories in each book. They’re mostly black and white, novel-style books, 2 stories in each volume, with a few of the early ones now available in full colour following the release of the animated movie by Dreamworks earlier this year.

The Adventures of Team Pom: The Last Dodo by Isabel Roxas (age 7+)

This is the second Team Pom book from Isabel Roxas. You don’t need to have read the first book – you can jump right into book 2, which is an action-packed romp through New York City. It’s such a bonkers plot it’s hard to know where to start but it features a power-hungry dodo named Steve and his rat minions whose terrible plans Team Pom is trying to thwart. The books have a diverse cast of kids who don’t fit in and who are equally preoccupied with saving New York City and with making sure they’ve got time for snacks. It’s for kids a little older than the last bunch of illustrated stories we mentioned, so it's ideal for those who have read their way through the Dog Mans etc and are looking for something to read next

The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams by Shane Hegarty, illustrated by Jeff Crowther (age 7+)

Limpet's mum is opening an ice-cream shop, full of her favourite new flavours: mushroom and tuna ice cream, roast parsnip and gravy, and so on. Limpet's not sure about this. He likes a nice, safe life. His favourite ice-cream flavour is vanilla. But when wicked Mr Fluffy arrives with his Mega Emporium of Amazing and Spectacular Ice Creams, Limpet knows he's got to fight back. This book is ideal for Roald Dahl fans – it has all the imagination of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Bestselling author Shane 

The Very Merry Murder Club, edited by Serena Patel and Robin Stevens, illustrated by Harry Woodgate (age 9+)

I love a story collection as a Christmas gift – they’re a great way to dip in and out of something over the holidays when there’s time for hanging around and they’re often more manageable for reluctant readers than a great long novel. This compendium of mystery stories is excellent for several reasons: the stories are great fun, they’ve got a cast of diverse characters and they’re written by 13 diverse writers. It’s Christmassy, and it will appeal hugely to fans of the editors – Robin Stevens’ Murder Most Unladylike books, and Serena Patel’s Anisha, Accidental Detective series, now 6 books in and great for readers aged 7+.

Neon’s Secret Universe by Sibéal Pounder, illustrated by Sarah Warburton (age 8+)

This book combines two things that kids love: unicorns and goo – assuming the magical goo in this book is a bit like slime. But in this book, unicorns are NOT horse creatures with horns. In fact, they are the most powerful magical beings on the planet and they look just like you and me. When a young human girl called Neon finds a battered old green lipstick hidden in her bedroom, it opens a portal to a secret realm known as the UNIverse, where magic is made with goo and the possibilities are endless! Sibéal Pounder is the bestselling author of the Witch Wars and Bad Mermaids series, so no doubt she will already have lots of fans waiting for this first book in a new one. 

The Book of Secrets by Alex Dunne (9+)

For the first time in over fifty years, the Trooping Fairies are in the small town of Clonbridge for their annual Revels. Their arrival awakens other creatures, who have mischief and chaos in mind. Eleven-year-old Cat is in more danger than most. She has the Sight, like her Granny before her, and that makes her a magnet for all things supernatural. But when the wild magic hurts her family, she needs to find a friend she can really trust. Together they face real danger and must use all their wits and bravery to save those they love, before the sun rises …

These are the Words by Nikita Gill (Teen)

7 years ago Belfast-born Nikita Gill started publishing her poems on Instagram. She now has several published poetry collections and 654,000 Instagram followers and 93K on TikTok. This is her YA debut These Are the Words: an empowering, feminist and beautifully illustrated poetry collection exploring all the things Nikita wished someone had told her when she was younger. There are poems about love, poems for when you hate your body and poems for when you need to protest. A brilliant collection for someone who is stuck in a reading rut and needs some short, powerful poems to get them out.

Truth Be Told by Sue Divin (Young Adult)

Set in Derry in 2019, this is the story of Tara, who was raised by her mam and nan in Derry City, and Faith, who lives in rural Armagh. Their lives on opposite sides of a political divide couldn’t be more different. Until they come face-to-face with each other and are shocked to discover they look almost identical. In searching for the truth about their own identities, the teenagers uncover more than they bargained for, leaving them doubting everything they’ve ever known about themselves.

Scattered Showers (stories) by Rainbow Rowell, illustrated by Jim Tierney (Young Adult)

Another story collection, this time for teenagers, from a beloved writer. Rainbow Rowell is best known for her books Eleanor and Park, Fangirl and Pumpkinheads. She writes novels, graphic novels and now releases her debut story collection. Scattered Showers consists of nine beautifully crafted love stories - wrapped in a beautiful hardback gift package including two-colour illustrations and sprayed edges. Illustrated throughout by Jim Tierney. A must for the stocking if you have a teenager who might dip into a story rather than take to a novel, or if they’ve enjoyed Heartstopper on Netflix this year.