Title: The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland
Author: Carys Bexington
Illustrator: Kate Hindley
The Story:
When St Nick receives a very late letter from the Princess of Hearts, he gets Rudolph to set a course to Wonderland. Though Dancer and Prancer warn him about Alice and the smiley cat, they set off without delay (“It’s a quick trip by rabbit hole, AGES by sleigh”). St Nick and his reindeer soon discover that the Princess is now Queen and she HATES Christmas. Is there anything that can convince the Queen that the true meaning of Christmas is to be kind?
Favourite Spread:
Kate’s illustrations in this book are spectacular and combined with Carys’ wonderful words, this book is a Christmas classic in the making. The attention to detail is phenomenal and it’s no exaggeration to say the end pages and title pages are works of art in themselves. Kate has really captured the magic of Wonderland, which I think is summed up in this spread:
Carys has created a fabulous plot around the Queen of Hearts which is set up perfectly by this little letter.
My favourite spread was the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Kate’s illustration is fantastic and Carys’ cleverly crafted verse makes this book an absolute joy to read.
The Verdict:
This is hands down my favourite 2019 Christmas book and one we will cherish for years and years to come. It is a fabulous modern mash-up of The Night Before Christmas and Alice in Wonderland. Not a single detail has been overlooked and all the iconic moments of both, from the names of the reindeer to Rabbit being late, make this book a pure delight to read. I cannot praise this book highly enough.
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
Publication date: 3 October 2019
ISBN: 978-1509879885
I am very grateful to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. This voluntary review contains my honest opinion.
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