The Gift of Christmas by Christine Leeson and Gaby Hansen is a wonderful book for sharing the magic of the season with young children.

It is a heart warming tale of a young mouse who wants a Christmas tree of her own. She sets about collecting things to use to decorate her tree to make it look like the one that she has seen in a nearby farmhouse.

As she collects odds and ends to make her tree look pretty she befriends lots of animals along the way.

An shaggy old dog, a magpie, a fox and a cat. All animals who might usually chase a mouse but because it is Christmas and because of their fond memories of magical Christmases gone by they agree to lend their precious items for the mouse to hang on her tree.

When Molly the Mouse hangs her collection on to a tree in the middle of the wood she is disappointed that it does not look like the one she has seen in the house. She goes to bed very disappointed.

During the night all the animals add more decorations to the tree. The frost comes and makes everything glisten and glitter.

“The little tree sparkled and shone and even the stars seemed to be caught in its branches, with the biggest and brightest star at the very top.”

Molly the Mouse is amazed by the glory of her tree and all animals sit quietly around it, together, peacefully, all because it is Christmas.

A magical Christmas story that will melt the coldest of hearts and help little ones learn to understand that Christmas is about giving and sharing and being together.

A fabulous festive book for all the family to enjoy.

ps – Is lovely read by candlelight as the wonder of the tree really comes to life and the sparkles dance off the page x