Christmas spirit prevails in this tale

Kid Christmas of the Claus Brothers Toy Shop By David Litchfield, Frances Lincoln, $18.99 Reviewed by Louise Ward

Little Nicky is surrounded by love, light and toys from the moment he is born with his three uncles owning the Claus Brothers Toy Shop, the finest, most magical toy shop in the land.

When he’s old enough, Nicky goes to work in the shop and discovers some of its mysteries, the most important of which being the tiny door into the top-secret workshop where Uncle Hantz makes the toys, Uncle Louis checks them and Uncle Levi adds the . . . “oh, what’s the scientific term for it? Ah yes. Magic.”

Nicky is an observant child. He sees the wonder and joy on the faces of the children in the shop, and he notices the faces of the children outside the shop who only ever look in the window and never come inside.

One evening, he follows these children and finds a world still full of love and light, but no toys.

These children work to buy food and scour the city for fireflies to give them light in the darkness in which they live.

It’s a comfortable and heartwarming seasonal trope; privilege meets poverty and the spirit of Christmas prevails.

But what this book does is bring the magic completely alive through story and, most importantly perhaps, illustration.

The cover is bright and busy with the golden detail of the toy shop, snow on the roofs of the houses, and light on the faces of the ragged children.

Inside, each panel is warm, engaging, and filled with everything Christmas should be: bright and busy with smiling faces and the most amazing spread in which the city is gradually lit up by fireflies in order for presents to be delivered to every child in every home.

Christmas is magical, and this book will make it more so.

Perfect for family read-aloud for wha¯nau aged about 3 and up.