One Christmas Wish

"I just adore her as a writer. There are a few names that come up in the world of children’s books. It almost feels like a golden age. Katherine Rundell is right up there. I can read her and read her and read her. She has this mastery of language, this light touch—and she’s so funny when she puts her mind to it. It’s just beautiful. She’s got an acrobatic mind, and it’s intoxicating to share use of language like that with your children… I’m trying to find an example. I’ve got a couple of quotes from One Christmas Wish which I hope demonstrate what I mean. One is, “I don’t know how to explain singing. It’s just something that happens, like dancing, or farting.” You know exactly what she means, and it’s slightly unexpected. And funny. Here’s another quote: “She smiled a smile so large, it ruffled the hair around her ears.” I just love that. I don’t know how she does, but she does it with every page. You’re drawn in and in and in. It’s a thoroughly modern Christmas story. It reminded me of The Nutcracker . Christmas decorations come to life and help this little boy who’s a bit lonely, and whose parents are very distracted. They’re always busy, and they’re not sure if they’re going to be back from the office in time to help him. It reminded me a little bit of Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales – but much funnier. The illustrations are charming; I think they’re designed to be reminiscent of a 1950s children’s book. My aunt’s got tons of books that look like this lying around her house, from her childhood. It has this nostalgic feel, which is perfect for modern-day references that are very nicely filled in. It’s really moving. I had a massive lump in my throat towards the end. It’s longer than the average illustrated picture book. I love books that we can all share. So often with an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old someone gets frustrated or feels left out at bedtime. In this book there is plenty to amuse us all—so it’s ideal for reading together as a family."