From the Publisher
"Irresistibly readable. Destined to become a Christmas and anytime-before-or-after-Christmas classic!" Chris Grabenstein, New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
"Like stockings hung by the fire, this spellbinding opus may well become a yuletide tradition." —Kirkus, Starred review
"Award-winning British author Matt Haig (To Be a Cat) writes with warmth, wit and irreverence." —Shelf Awareness, Starred review
"The definitive (and funny) history of Ho, ho, ho! My children loved it." —Yann Martel, bestselling author of Life of Pi
"Humorous and heartfelt, A Boy Called Christmas will grow your heart three sizes and make you believe in magic." Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times bestselling author of Rump
"The most evergreen, immortal Christmas story to be published for decades. Future generations will receive the same comfort and joy from A Boy Called Christmas that they derive from mince pies, snowmen and creamy liqueurs." Stephen Fry
"Matt Haig puts the Happy back into Christmas." Jeanette Winterson
"A new festive classic. Funny, sad and brilliant. It turns out we only knew half the story." Simon Mayo, BBC
"An instant Christmas classic... Nikolas is a terrific character, clearly the offspring of Gerda from The Snow Queen and Roald Dahl's Charlie Bucket." The Guardian
"Like enjoying the warmth of a good fire on a cold day . . . perfect for Christmas is every way." The Independent
"Matt Haig has an empathy for the human condition, the light and the dark of it, and he uses the full palette to build his excellent stories.”—Neil Gaiman, Newbery-winning author of The Graveyard Book
Booklist
Perfectly captures the spirit of Christmas, and Mould’s scratchy ink-pen illustrations bring charm and humor to the page. Misguided elves, a mouse that unflaggingly believes in the existence of cheese, and flying reindeer (naturally) all unite under one boy’s faith in the impossible. A heartwarming holiday adventure.
School Library Journal
10/01/2016
Gr 3–6—This lively British import recounts the adventures of young Nicholas, who will grow up to become Father Christmas, otherwise known as Santa Claus to American children. Born on Christmas Day, Nicholas leads a life of hardship in a remote, ramshackle cabin with his good-hearted father. When his father goes in search of Elfhelm (and a chance at a great monetary reward), Nicholas is left alone with his cruel aunt Carlotta. After enduring abuse and neglect, the boy sets off on his own to find his father and the mythical land of the elves. The fairy-tale atmosphere aptly sets the stage for magic and mischief, including flying reindeer, exploding trolls, a truth pixie, and a trusty mouse companion. Nicholas eventually changes the course of Elfhelm history, saving it from a regime of unhappiness, and ultimately discovers his true calling as a giver of gifts. Mould's quirky yet charming black-and-white drawings are a perfect complement to the sometimes snarky text. VERDICT There's plenty to please fans of Roald Dahl, Lemony Snicket, and Adam Gidwitz: offbeat humor with the ultimate satisfaction of overcoming the impossible, helping humanity, and achieving one's dreams. A popular choice for Christmas or year round.—Madeline Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library
OCTOBER 2016 - AudioFile
Narrator Stephen Fry delivers a heartwarming and spirited performance in this fresh production on the origins of Christmas rituals. Fry’s dynamic narration brings out the humor as well as the heartache in young protagonist Nikolas, who sets off on an adventure to find his father and stumbles upon a mystical elf kingdom. Fry’s hearty range of voices expresses not only Nikolas’s quiet bravery, anguish, and joy during his journey but also a myriad of animated human and nonhuman characters, including a humorous troll and a sweet elf. Fry’s delightful storytelling weaves heartfelt emotion with the magic of elves and the power of goodness, making it easy to believe in Christmas. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2016-08-17
Young Nikolas has a grand adventure while discovering his magical destiny as Father Christmas.Nikolas is a sweet, 12-year-old white boy who leads a hard-knock life in the woods of Finland. His mother has died, and his father, Joel is an impoverished woodcutter. Desperate for money, Joel joins a group of men on a quest to prove the existence of elves, leaving Nikolas with his ill-tempered aunt, Carlotta. Nikolas runs away to find his father, but trudging months through the woods, he faces starvation, freezing, and hopelessness. Then he comes across a reindeer with an arrow stuck in his leg. Nikolas helps him and names him Blitzen, and they continue their journey to the elf village together. Unfortunately, once located, the elves do not offer a warm welcome but instead lock Nikolas in the tower. It’s there that Nikolas discovers, with the help of a drimwick, or hope spell, that he’s become more than just the simple boy he used to be. With remarkable descriptions (“His eyebrows were sliding apart like caterpillars falling out of love”) and a bit of mischief (Blitzen likes to wee on the heads of humans as he flies over), this hits both ends of the audience’s sophistication range and has great promise as a read-aloud. The clever story is powdered with puckish illustrations and reminds humans and elves alike that goodness and kindness are a kind of magic. Like stockings hung by the fire, this spellbinding opus may well become a yuletide tradition. (Fantasy. 6-13)