Evie's Christmas Wishes

by Siobhán Parkinson, Shannon Bergin (Illustrator)

Overview

Christmas is coming and Evie is wishing, wishing …

Evie can hardly wait for Christmas to arrive. There is lots of festive fun to be had, from rehearsing for the school play, to decorating the tree, to wrapping presents. As she prepares for the big day with her parents and classmates, she is wishing, wishing, wishing. Suddenly, her wishes begin to come true! Just not in the way she expects. A wish for a reindeer results in a reindeer decoration being found in the attic, a wish for a singing part in her school play sees the whole class (Evie included) all singing along together, and her wish for a white Christmas sees a brief sprinkle of snowfall on Christmas Eve. Her biggest wish of all is for a baby sister, which also partially comes true, in a very surprising way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781912417797
Publisher:	Little Island Books
Publication date:	10/11/2022
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.60(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Siobhán Parkinson is one of Ireland's best-known writers for children. She has written more than thirty books, most of them for children and teenagers, for which she has won a bagful of awards and nominations, and her books have been translated into about twenty languages. She was Ireland's first Children's Laureate. She is visually impaired, which means she has to rely mainly on audiobooks for reading, and she works by using magnification software and a voice on her computer. She lives in Dublin in Ireland with her husband, who is a woodturner and without her grown-up son, who is a book editor.

Read an Excerpt

Christmas is coming.

At school, the children are rehearsing.

‘I wish I had a singing part,’ says Evie in a whisper.

At home, Evie is helping to make the pudding.

‘We should have made it ages ago,’ says Daddy. ‘We forgot.’

‘I hope we don’t forget Christmas,’ says Evie.

Editorial Reviews

"Captures the magnificence of the festive season perfectly. The illustrations by debut artist Sharon Bergin are fantastic"

The Irish Times

"The illustrations by Shannon Bergin are full of rich Christmas colour and light."

Anne Cunningham, The Meath Chronicle

From the Publisher

2022-08-17
Evie and her family prepare for Christmas while she notes her holiday wishes.

Getting ready means rehearsing the school Nativity play, preparing the cake, decorating the tree, and writing to Santa Claus. Throughout, Evie whispers wishes and hopes—for a singing part in the play, for a delicious cake, and even for a baby sister. Though she doesn’t get exactly what she dreams of, things have a way of working out—she wishes for a reindeer but she finds the family has an ornament version at home, for example. The family also looks forward to a visit from Uncle Seán, who has a surprise in store. While the location isn’t explicitly stated, Gaelic shop signs and terms such as Mammyfor momindicate the story is likely set in Ireland. Bergin’s illustrations are warm and inviting, with rich oranges and reds and effective use of light and shadow. Evie, her parents, and her uncle are light-skinned; their community is a diverse one. Parkinson, the first children’s laureate of Ireland, captures a child’s eager holiday energy and hopeful spirit. Though the plot is simple, the pairing of text and illustration makes this a cozy, feel-good read. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Charming illustrations buoy this sweet holiday tale. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews