The house in Exeter Street is a large, welcoming building with sash windows that appear golden from the light inside, a snow-covered roof and charming pointy red chimney pots. It is the day before Christmas Eve and the guests are just starting to arrive. Each page of this delightful picture book sees more and more people coming to the house, some expected, others a surprise, but all welcome. In the end the vicar and his wife sleep in the bath, five thin aunts sleep on the shelves of the dresser and a family whose car has broken down squash onto the (luckily wide) window sills. Father Christmas has to use his fingers and toes to count all the stockings. The small black cat, who crept in unnoticed, decides it is so lovely he’ll stay till next Christmas.

Jane

As always we would like you to buy this book. Also, as always, we would like you to buy it from your local bookshop. Without your support it might not survive.