Booky Advent Calendar Day 20 - "The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey" by Susan Wojciechowski and Patrick Lynch (Walker Books)

Oooh this is such a lovely christmas tale, the booky equivalent of a gorgeous mug of mulled wine and a fruity mince pie. This heartwarming story may start out feeling a little less than festive, but like all good christmas tales it's guaranteed to melt your heart.

"The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey" introduces us to Jonathan himself, who is a bit of a loner, always seems gloomy (the villagers nickname the poor soul "Gloomy Toomey") but no one quite knows the secret of the old woodcarver, or the real reasons for his self-inflicted solitude.

His reputation as an expert woodcarver brings him to the attention of a young widow and her son. New to the area, they solicit the services of the woodcarver to carve a very special set of animals and characters for a christmas Nativity scene.

At first, Jonathan Toomey is gruff and grumpy about the task at hand, but when the young widow becomes a regular visitor, and her son shows an interest in Jonathan Toomey's wonderful work, a special bond begins. As the work draws to a close, Jonathan Toomey begins to realise just how much he'll miss his house guests once the commission is completed. But this is a christmas tale, so we'll leave you to discover the rather lovely heartwarming ending to this particular tale.

At first glance you wouldn't mark this out as a christmassy book because it doesn't really scream Christmas at you! But it is such a lovely tale we couldn't resist it.

(Definitely don't be fooled enough to seek out the movie based on the book though, it's absolutely dreadful!)

Charlotte's best bit: Jonathan Toomey's glorious carved angels

Daddy's Favourite bit: A cuddly heartwarming story that's sure to be a favourite for reading while tucked up under a blanket next to the warm fire. Lovely and atmospheric