
Some of the planned activities for the party didn't take place because everyone got so caught up in the first one, which was to vote for your favourites from the collection of Christmas books (see 7 Dec).
Silence reigned (!) for an hour or so as everyone, adults and children, started re-reading them all to decide which they really liked best. Some discussion followed and a very complicated voting system began. But the final result was....ta daa -
No 1 Smudger The Dog Saves Christmas. This year's choice - a zany overexcited dog gets into all kinds of trouble, and the drawings of the reindeer are wonderful. By Lissa Evans and illustrated by Holly Surplice (Red Fox).
No 2 The Christmas Tree Tangle (see 5 and 10 Dec). A favourite in this house since I bought it an 1996.
No 3 Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present purchased in 2009. An exhausted Father Christmas climbs into bed and then notices he's missed a present....for far away Harvey Slumfenburger. His reindeer are asleep and one of them is not very well. How will he get to Roly Poly Mountain? John Burningham is both writer and illustrator of this dramatic tale published by Walker Books