The Christmas Department Store

It’s Christmas Eve, but Benji doesn’t feel very festive. Christmas seems to have lost its magic this year – his family can’t afford a tree or a Christmas dinner. Benji wishes he could buy spectacular gifts for everyone to make them smile again.

Then soon Benji stumbles upon a department store... but not any old department store. This shop is full of wonder and magic, with penguin doormen and a shiny steam train that zooms on a glittering spiral track. The young boy discovers the most perfect gifts for his family, including a fabulous imaginary hat for his granny, a funky trumpet for his sister Hana, and a warm-smelling potion for his dad. For each gift he selects, the animal shop assistants request Benji sings a silly song or tells them an exceptional story instead as payment.

By the time he leaves the department store, Benji's hopes for a magical Christmas are restored. When Christmas Day arrives, Benji has doubts about his gifts – what use is an empty hat box, a broken trumpet and jar of jam? But when he sees everyone’s smiles, he realises that the real gift he had given them was love and happiness.

Not all families can afford a picture-perfect Christmas and some children may feel sad and left out from the celebrations. This heart-warming book shows littles ones that you don't have to have a lot of money or presents to have a special time at Christmas.

Giang’s beautiful illustrations are filled with warm festive tones of red, green and gold and the magic of the department store oozes from every page.

A heart-warming magical tale about how joyful Christmas time can be – even if you can’t spend lots of money on fancy gifts or food.