The Story: Put simply Once Upon a Northern Night is a story about the magic and wonder of seeing the ordinary, familiar world transformed by a snowfall.
Why is Once Upon a Northern Night your favourite Christmas book?
While many books and stories deal with this sense of the transformation of the ordinary through the appreciation of nature, I just feel transported whenever I look at this book. I have to say that for me personally it’s all about the illustrations – I just ADORE them (and that’s not the normal publishing use of the word ‘adore’ which so often means, ‘this is a thing that I’ve just seen on twitter and quite like.’).
Can you describe a favourite illustration or give a favourite quote from the story and tell us why you chose it?
There’s a spread where you see some hares playing on the left-hand side and a fox half in shadow in the facing spread. The economy of the illustrations and the spare use of colour is just fantastic – did I mention that I love the illustrations? 😉
Author: Jean E. Pendziwol / Illustrator: Isabelle Arsenault
About Tom
Tom Percival grew up in the wilds of Shropshire in a caravan with no sensible form of heating, no mains water and only sporadic electricity. The drinking water came from a container that collected spring water and Tom used to think that it was incredibly tedious to have to boil the water before drinking it – until he found a dead frog in there.
He now lives with his girlfriend and their two young children in a real house with stairs and everything!
Which book is on your Christmas wishlist this year?
Hmm, tricky! There’s no one book that I’m especially keen to get, but I know that my Mum will buy me a couple and they’ll all be great! She always seems to know which books I’ll enjoy more than I do.
Story Snug’s 2015 Advent Calendar on Pinterest
Leave a Reply