Juniper’s Christmas

When Juniper’s mum goes missing, she seeks help from Niko, who lives in her local London park surrounded by Christmas trees and reindeer that can fly. She suspects he is actually Santa and when she accidentally gets exposed to North Pole magic, Juniper finds that Skara, a young reindeer, has imprinted on her, forming a close bond between the two. With the park threatened by local councillor, Dafydd Carnegie and a Santa who has given up on Christmas, can Juniper find her mum and bring back the magic of the festive season?

There is so much to love in this story that no synopsis of it could possibly do it justice! My son (and I!) loved the ‘Artemis Fowl’ series, thoroughly enjoying the quirky originality and humour of the books and Eoin Colfer has managed to sprinkle the same magic on this book.

A book with a grieving, disaffected Father Christmas who has stopped fulfilling his duties and a mother and daughter bereft at the loss of their husband/ father doesn’t really sound like much of a festive treat yet not everyone is happy at Christmas - a time when the world assumes everyone is. Juniper’s much-loved father loved celebrating Christmas and Juniper herself is a Christmas baby, making the season all the more poignant now that he is no longer there. The story also includes Duchess, one of the homeless people who shelter in the park and who Niko has been offering help and support to and who are now under threat from the machinations of Carnegie and his criminal ally, Trude Madden, who are quite happy to destroy donations for homeless people.

However, the story is peppered with humour, hope and happiness, reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas, offering plenty to discuss and plenty to enjoy. ‘Be the change’, empathise with and care for others, the importance of family (real and ‘adopted’) all ring clear through the inventive, magical technicalities of the workings of Christmas. ‘Juniper’s Christmas’ would make an excellent class story - sure to inspire lots of writing and creative ideas- with many drama opportunities and much to talk about. The book would also make an excellent film..!

Juniper’s Christmas

Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat

Harper Collins ISBN: 978- 0008475536

Hay Festival: Global

Yesterday, after a chilly start, the sun sone down on the festival site in Hay as I headed for the Wye Stage for the ‘Global’ event with Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin and Giovanni Rigano. In 2017, at Bath Literary Festival, I heard them speak about ‘Illegal’, their incredibly powerful, moving graphic novel about Ebo, whose story is fictional, but based on true stories. Having thoroughly enjoyed this event, I knew I was in for a real treat- and I was not disappointed!

The very easy and genuine friendship between Eoin, Andrew and Giovanni was evident from the outset, creating a very natural and relaxed atmosphere. Giovanni was drawing a picture (which was to be awarded to the person who asked the best question) and it was a joy to watch such a talented artist at work!

When my son was younger, we went to hear Eoin Colfer speak as every new ‘Artemis Fowl’ book came out and these sessions were always characterised by Eoin’s quick sense of humour and ability to entertain. Although the subject matter of both ‘Global’ and ‘‘Illegal’ is serious, plenty of this humour filtered its way into the discussion and this time passed very quickly. Having explained their reasons for choosing the impact of climate change as the theme for ‘Global’, they using the graphic novel format for conveying the story.

Emphasising that there are many different ways to create graphic novels and comics, they talked through the process that they used for creating ‘Global', showing fascinating glimpses into the different stages used to develop the story to the final product. Giovanni’s talent was constantly praised and Eoin and Andrew focused on one particular spread to consider how layered the pictures are, offering additional information and clues about the characters, how light is used to focus attention on particular features… It was a joy to listen to!

‘Global’ is a fabulous story, the compelling tale of two children from very different locations who both face the harsh realities of global warming. Like ‘Illegal’, it is an essential addition to school libraries and bookshelves, tackling a difficult topic in an accessible way, sure to encourage empathy for those whose lives might be more dramatically impacted by climate change. The artwork is stunning, making it instantly appealing and easy to enjoy time and time again. A brilliant session about a brilliant book!

Global

Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illustrated by Giovanni Rigano

Hodder Children’s ISBN: ‎ 978-1444951912