Books we loved in December 2025

Santa wears his red suit for Christmas, but what about the rest of the year? Create your own crazy outfit combinations for Santa with this fun, split-page board book.

Eddie the dog loves to travel super fast on his scooter, but when it’s damaged in a crash, he must walk everywhere. Delightfully funny and bursting with glorious illustrations, this vibrant picture book demonstrates the benefits of occasionally slowing things down. 

Tariq must bring a special meal to the class picnic – but how can he choose a favourite from his family’s scrumptious array of dishes? A delicious celebration of family and food. 

A girl describes her many, varied feelings. A useful book to explore emotions with a young child.

Featuring eight traditional nursery tales, from Little Red Riding Hood to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this is a beautiful, well-made book that would make a wonderful gift for any little ones, and something to treasure for the years to come. 

Could the new neighbour really be Santa? One girl is convinced he is – and when it’s winter, he needs her help. A heartwarming story about community, with gorgeous illustrations.

A little girl describes how she feels to have a foot in two worlds – to be a glorious mix of all her family members and their culture, history, and experiences. A lovely book to share with children of every family background. 

My First Picture Atlas is a lovely introduction to geography for mid-primary aged children. 

A grandson and his ​‘Silly Old Grandad’ fill their day with adventures on Pebble Beach. But one day, Grandad moves away. A heartwarming tale about change and cherishing memories. 

A little girl is excited to spend the day with her best friend Tilly, and she wants to build a dreamworld for them to play in. But her imagination soon gets the best of her. 

This lovely, colourful homage to the city of Belfast would make a fun story for any child visiting, or anyone that lives there and wants to learn about the special things in their city. Mixing local legends and celebrating proud landmarks, this is a super book. 

Discover why soil is so important to our world in this informative, colourful picture book. Perfectly pitched at young readers. 

Learn about the magical world of seahorses and some of the challenges they face in this richly illustrated non-fiction book. 

Poet Pie Corbett presents readers with a delightful collection of poems about animals, everyday life, and dragons, fairies and all manner of otherworldly creatures and places. 

Ramona Spellstar can’t wait to join Wands Away School of Magic but as her first day approaches, she begins to feel nervous. A charming illustrated chapter book about making friends and enjoying new experiences. 

The Astrosaurs are an elite group of space-dinosaurs who protect the galaxy from attack. Join them on three utterly bonkers adventures in this hilarious, vibrantly illustrated graphic novel. 

A bright, colourful and fact-filled exploration of the wonderful world of bugs. Perfect for fans of creepy-crawlies!

Explore the biology, history and geography of some of the most wonderfully unique islands on Earth in this beautifully illustrated non-fiction book. 

A heartwarming chapter book about a boy and his Grandad, who go to the North Pole on a quest to find the next Santa. 

Wiska Wildflower is a Wiskling: a small fairy-type creature. When Wiska starts a new school on the other side of the forest, she finds it difficult to leave her best friends behind and begin again. A sweet chapter book with gorgeous colour illustrations throughout. 

100 funny and thought-provoking questions are explored through playful poetry and characterful illustrations in this superb non-fiction book.

This colourful, fascinating, and informative non-fiction picture book for older readers explores fashion from around the world and through the ages. 

In the catastrophic events of a single day, this vivid and nail-biting account of one boy’s determination to get justice in an unjust world explores one of the dark chapters in the history of the British Empire. 

On Christmas morning, three cousins find themselves alone. No adults. No dogs. No festivities. And then they see the people silently marching south, with orange eyes… Unsettling and gripping, this is a very different sort of Christmas story! 

Can Shakespeare’s characters really help Will sort out the problems facing him and his mum? A comedy of errors with heart. 

Naeli travels from India to England to find her lost father, but what mysteries will she uncover along the way? A pacy historical adventure. 

Two cousins compete over inheritance in a thrilling and darkly gothic whodunnit. 

This magical, thoughtful, and beautifully written tale set in a fictional Jamaica presents the reader with Obeah magic alongside a rollicking good story.

Two children explore the hidden places in the rooftops of London in a strange and eerie story of refugees, human trafficking, and a fantastical invention. 

As an advanced AI game becomes increasingly violent, one boy’s experience uncovers a devastating secret and reveals an extraordinary abuse of corporate power. 

A fun, school-based murder mystery with a cast of neurodivergent characters.