About the Book
This nostalgic and beautifully illustrated Christmas story is about a girl called Susan who was given a doll from the family she was living with during the war. She was an evacuee and appreciated the kindness and generosity that this treasured present represented.
It is the first book in a new series about The Repair Shop (scroll down to find out more in the video clip).
Amy Sparkes studied English Literature and Theology at the University of Kent, and began writing after moving to Devon with her husband, six young children and an overactive imagination. Her books have appeared on CBeebies storytime and been shortlisted for several book awards, including the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the BookTrust Best Books Awards. She runs author events for children, writing workshops for aspiring children’s writers, produces the Writing for Children pages for bestselling Writing Magazine, and writes short stories for Aquila magazine. She co-founded the Writing Magazine Picture Book Prize for aspiring picture book authors.
Katie Hickey takes inspiration from her travels and surroundings to create characterful and atmospheric images. She particularly loves creating illustrations about the quirky stories and characters she meets along the way. Her work deals with both narrative and information and often combines the two. Katie’s work is also heavily inspired by 20th century book illustration with its colour palettes and printing processes. She uses a combination of hand rendered print processes and digital techniques to create her work.
Book Review
this book teaches the importance of treasuring and repairing our toys
Ila Says: I love that doll! I love this story! I love that it’s about repairs. Like we do at home…remember Grandma fixed Frenchie, my teddy, when his arm came off ?
Ila’s Mum says: It is such a beautifully illustrated and written book that allowed for so much discussion about war time history and the similarities and differences between now and then. Ila was aghast that children would have received a piece of coal in their stockings at Christmas!
In addition to that, this book teaches the importance of treasuring and repairing our toys, something Ila values greatly as each of her stuffed toys has a name, a personality and is considered a member of the family just like The Christmas Doll.
If you would would like to buy a copy of the book we invite you to order it from your local independent book shop.
Or, you can shop on-line and support our Kids Reviews page by sourcing your discounted book via this link
Alternatively, we suggest that you visit your local library and request to borrow a copy from a friendly librarian.
Whichever you choose, we hope you enjoy being part of your unique reading community – happy reading everyone!
Reviewer Profile
- Name: Ila
- Age: 5 years
- Likes: Strawberries and ice-cream
- Dislikes: Chilli and onions
- Favourite Movie: Sing
- Favourite Song: The Fairy Song
- Favourite Book: The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
