When Fox greets them with a ‘Merry Christmas!’, Hedgehog and Tortoise are a bit confused. It’s their first Christmas and neither know quite what to make of it. Fox said it was all about the presents, for Badger it was the treats and as far as Magpie was concerned it was the singing and decorating that made Christmas. The squirrel and the mice had their suggestions too and for the poor stressed out Rabbit it just had to be perfect, whatever it was all about.
It all gets a bit too much for the pair of friends and Tortoise heads off looking for some peace and calm. Whilst Hedgehog stays to ponder the festivities, a wise Owl comes along with a very different message about Christmas as a time for being with the ones that we love. Hedgehog heads off to find Tortoise and bring him back to be with all his friends at Christmas time.
Merry Whatmas? is a delightful way to think about the real meaning of Christmas. It is as appropriate for adults sharing the story as it is for children listening to it. The illustrations are perfect and capture the essence of all the elements that children may see, hear and experience at Christmas time. Children in early years and KS1 will be able to use these references to talk about what they remember or know about Christmas. It will prompt conversation and reflection. This is a perfect book to share in the run up to Christmas with a lovely message about what we could and perhaps should be looking forward to.
This review was written by Claire Tidy
I am a Year 1 teacher based in a school in South Wales. I am also a mum to two teenage daughters. I have been teaching for 9 years and during that time books have been a pivotal part of all aspects of my teaching, I love reading for pleasure and aim to inspire this in the children that I teach. I especially love books with a historical context as well as biographies and true life stories. I have a special interest in books set in Wales or with a Welsh context.Copyright: Just Imagine Story Centre Ltd 2012-2023. All rights reserved.