Our family was first introduced to Winston back in 2019, in his first Advent Adventure, How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T Smith. This year the book is back in a fantastic chapter book version AND the sequel is here!
Alex’s beautiful illustrations and storytelling make this series a Christmas highlight. If you’re looking for Christmas present ideas, these books make lovely keepsake gifts, but you’ll definitely be buying a second copy for your own family!
How to Read These Books:
These gorgeously illustrated Christmas stories are written in 24 and a half chapters, and each chapter should be read on the corresponding day of advent (with the final half chapter being read on Christmas day itself). Alongside the next part of Winston’s Christmas adventure, each chapter has a festive activity you can do as a family from writing a letter to Father Christmas to making Christmas decorations. So, while you can read one chapter a day over advent, they can be read quicker if you can’t wait to find out what happens next (or need to catch up!).
How Winston Delivered Christmas
Let me start with a recap of book 1… How Winston Delivered Christmas tells the story of a brave little mouse who sets out on a Very Important Mission on Christmas Eve.
When Winston finds a letter that got lost on its way to Father Christmas, he sets out to deliver it himself with the help of some friends he meets along the way. Read my full review here.
Published by Macmillan Children’s Books, 3 October 2019 (large paperback edition)
ISBN: 978-1529010862
New for Christmas 2021, How Winston Delivered Christmas is available as a festive chapter book with black and white illustrations (without the 24 Christmas crafts).
This is perfect for independent readers, and I can imagine lots of excited children looking forward to keeping this up for their advent bedtime read. The paperback is formatted like a regular chapter book, and so can be read a chapter a night or faster. So, even though it’s not the 1st December you can still catch up!
Published by Macmillan Children’s Books, 28 October 2021 (Black and White edition)
ISBN: 978-1529080858
If like my family, you have been enjoying reading Winston’s adventure for the past couple of years, there is a new adventure for you to enjoy! How Winston Came Home for Christmas came out this year and it will not disappoint.
It is five days until Christmas and Winston has a Very Curious Mystery to solve. He has hazy rememberings of another mouse, and he just knows that someone very important to him is lost. After promising Oliver that he will be back in time for Christmas, no matter what, Winston sets out on an exciting round-the-world adventure to find the missing mouse, helped along the way by wonderful old friends and delightful new ones, too.
Alex’s wonderful and inclusive illustrations create a magical atmosphere. Alongside the new adventure story, there are 24 brand new Christmas activities for the family to try. Alex has created ingenious, creative advent calendars in the form of exquisite, illustrated books that will become a part of the family Christmas traditions for years to come.
Published by Macmillan Children’s Books, 28 October 2021
ISBN: 978-1529041576
I am very grateful to the publisher for providing me with complimentary copies of these books. This voluntary feature contains my honest opinion.
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