Member Reviews
The illustrations within this book and on the cover had a fantastic Christmas feel. The lights and snow covered houses really set the scene well for this story. The details In the illustrations make the dark,cold winter nights cosy and exciting.
I liked the idea of this story. The sweetness of little Nic Claus and the idea of where it all could have started works well. I felt the words used or the descriptions to be a little less exciting than i would have liked but it does produce a sense of wonder out with that.
I would pick up another book by this Author and would love to see the different illustrations as this is where it really made it for me.
Many thanks to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.
Kids Christmas by Daivid Ltchfield was a bautifully illustrated story about Santa Clause came to be and I read it to my nephew who loved it. I will be buying a copy for him at christmas.
This is the most wonderful and delightful Christmas book I've read this year. the heartwarming tale of how Santa Claus came to be by the incredibly talented David Litchfield, the creator of the wonderful 'The Bear and the Piano' series.
Young Nick works at his uncles' toy workshop when one year he realises that there are many children in his city who will not be getting a new toy for Christmas. Litchfield ties beautifully all the little nuggets of knowledge we have about Santa, from how the toys are made to how they get delivered. The illustrations are nothing short of brilliant, adding so much to the cosy and (dare I say) magical reading experience. Will enthuse little readers and will undoubtedly stir up quite a lot of childhood nostalgia to the adults, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If there is one new Christmas book to purchase this year, this is the one. We absolutely loved it (my sons are 5 and 3).
Thank you to Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for the review copy, all opinions are my own.
It is an adorable story about the origin of Santa Claus, with cute illustrations and warmth in its narrative it is perfect to share with children and make them reflect on how lucky we are, since not everyone has the same opportunities but we can all do our best to make others happy.
It also gives us joy and hope, just what everyone is looking for at Christmas.
Sweet, wholesome, cozy and whimsical - these words can perfectly describe this book.
It's perfect book for your child (or you) for Christmas time.
Just you, your family and this book, I guarantee you'll have amazing evening.
I think I'm unable to describe how beautiful the Illustratrations are and how sweet the story is - you'll just have to see for yourself.
This is the perfect holiday book for younger readers, the illustrations are absolutely breathtaking. They were so fun, colorful, and festive. I wish I had this kind of story when I was younger. This was heartwarming and uplifting, it’s the perfect magical story for children to read near Christmas.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with access to read this book!
I had a lot of fun reading this book. The illustrations were beautiful and really helped move this story along. We see a kid who decides to do something special for the other children in the city. When all seems lost, someone helps make this magical night happen. As this tale comes to a close, it looks like a new holiday tradition has been born.
What a wonderful spin on the story of Santa Clause! I love that it was kids helping other kids to have a beautiful, magical Christmas! And sleigh....what about the Yule 3000?! Read to find out more!! The illustrations are so bright and pretty.
This was a super sweet and wholesome Christmas book for kids. It is definitely appropriate and brings attention to less fortunate children and teaches a lesson of kindness and generosity. The illustrations are beautiful. Overall, this book is super wholesome and holds a valuable theme for children.
Kid Christmas is a cozy and whimsical picture book, in which presents the origin of Santa Claus.
Nicky is a boy with a heart of gold, and also works in a toy shop with his three uncles. But sooner than later, Nicky finds children who aren’t so lucky to be in the toy store. After befriending the kids with fireflies, he tells his uncles about his grand idea. An idea to make Christmas for everyone…
Of course, he finds challenges within his goal, but in the darkest moment, can he turn things around? Rather, can his friends?
This is a perfect Christmas eve bedtime story for four to eight year olds, making them feel cozy and more excited for Christmas than ever! If you’re interested, consider picking this up for the following reasons; the artwork, the imagination, and the theme.
I have to admit—I almost made the spellbinding artworks my wallpaper, and it’s probably the biggest strength of this book. Nevertheless, the story takes a unique spin on the origin of Santa, and could encourage readers to further their imagination. Ask your kids, or yourself; What if I can retell this? What would Santa’s origin look like to me?
The message or theme of this book is also important. In the simple twenty or so pages, Nicky decides to be kindhearted to a group of kids, and gets a surprising return from them when he’s in trouble. This book teaches all of us the power of kindness, and what you can receive in return.
However, there are a few things that didn’t quite work out for me! I have high standards, for one, and it may not apply to you. Though, the plot hasn’t shown the readers anything too valuable. And although the artwork is certainly amazing, the story is bland and seems ever so cliché. Sometimes, the dialogue doesn’t seem like children speaking, since one called the other “kid”.
I don’t give picture books high ratings, but for this, I would reward this a 3 stars! I had fun reading this book, and couldn’t help daydreaming what my origin would look like. If all this sounds interesting to you, it is worth a try!
Thank you to Netgalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
Kid Christmas: Of Claus Brothers Toy Shop is a beautiful enchanting retelling about how Santa came to be. Nicky and his three uncles run a toy shop, and when Nicky realises that not everyone can afford to buy toys, he formulates a plan to ensure that every child is gifted a toy on one night of the year.
This was a lovely story with tradition woven into its core, and children will delight at the illustrations, traditions they recognise and know, and feel the magic and spirit of Christmas. This is a great book to use for a discussion point, too, to talk about gratitude, kindness, and compassion.
Thanks Netgalley for providing arc version of this book.
No matters how old you are, if you want to feel Christmas vibes - this book exactly what you need.
Cozy, beautiful, childhood naive story with fantastic illustrations.
It’s truly delicious not just read it but also see any small detail in illustrations.
This was SUCH a sweet story absolutely perfect for kids. The message of this story is as christmasy as it could get, with a wonderful depiction of true Christmas spirit along with beautiful art and some little comedic comments here and there! This is the book the young children in your life should be receiving this Christmas!
This is a lovely heartwarming story about the magic of Christmas and a possible beginning for the legend of Father Christmas.
This is such a beautiful and heartwarming book - I read it several times with my daughter and each time we found something new to explore in the story,
A new take on the story of where Father Christmas came from, this tells the story of Nicky Claus who works in a toy shop and who has the dream of making sure that every child has a gift to open on Christmas Day. The story was heartwarming and charming while the illustrations were incredible. A lovely book to read to children of all ages,
This book was so beautiful! The illustrations were gorgeous and the story was so sweet. I always love origin stories, and this is such a cute story explaining why Santa delivers toys every year.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this
WHAT AN ABSOLUTELY CUTE CHRISTMAS TIME BOOK!
This is the story of before Santa. And oh my goodness it was so cute.
The main character Nick Really embodied the spirit of Christmas and with the help of his uncles and some other little helpers they created what we now know as Santa and Christmas.
It was so well written and made me feel all the good feelings Christmas is supposed to bring.
The Illustrations were beautiful.
Me and my kids really enjoyed this story and will be making this a yearly Christmas read for sure!
Thank you Netgalley and The publishers for The ARC copy for Reviewing purposes.
I loved this story and the enchanting illustrations! It’s the perfect thing to get into the mood of the Christmas spirit! I adored the beautiful message of how Santa got his start, that darkness will not win. And friendship is the way to bring the light into the world!
A beautifully illustrated book, perfect gift for Christmas, about a boy and his uncles who make toys. Another interpretation of Santa Claus at the beginning, and I do love this story that told us how his compassion for others makes him share happiness of owning a toy,
The Christmas kid is a colorful picture book, in the book you travel to a dark Christmas eve long ago. Nicky works with his uncles in a toy store. One day he sees some children standing by the shop window, they can’t afford to buy a toy. Nicky feels sad for the children and he gets an idea. His idea grows into a big dream, but it does not remain just a dream…
What a richly illustrated book this is. The prints are sometimes covering the spread and sometimes in small frames, which gives pace to the story and occasionally reminds of a comic book.
Highly recommended to read with Christmas. In summary: a festive feel-good story about sharing, working together, realizing dreams and persevere.
Big thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy in return for my honest opinion.