It's not often you get a story that comfortably covers two glorious celebrations - both of which we absolutely love to bits. Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" gets a good solid airing at Halloween but also at Christmas, and this 20th Anniversary Edition of the original story is perfect for reading at bedtime as we get closer and closer to the big day.

If you're one of the handful of people who has no idea who Jack Skellington is, or has no idea what happened when the two holiday seasons of Halloween and Christmas clashed together so spectacularly in Tim's story and the utterly gorgeous movie that it spawned, then treat yourself to the book and the film and tuck into a glorious festive tale.

Jack Skellington is the big cheese in Halloweenland. Each and every year, Jack and his ghoulish crew plan Halloween celebrations and festivities. But Jack is becoming jaded, tired of dreaming up new ways to spook and scare people.

By chance, Jack discovers a magical forest filled with mysterious doors, portals to other holiday words. Drawn to the sparkliest and most colourful door, adorned with a tree and baubles, Jack accidentally falls through and finds himself in Christmas Land.

Caught up with the festive preparations, Jack falls hook line and sinker in love with the idea of becoming Santa for the year, and putting his own dark spin on Christmas! Time for Santa to take a holiday (or rather be kidnapped and put in a big sack by Lock, Shock and Barrel, three of Jack's most fiendish cohorts) and for Jack to take over!

But will Jack's perfect vision of a gruesome Christmas come to pass?

It's quite interesting seeing the original story that spawned the movie. Tim Burton re-drew sections of the tale and this celebratory anniversary edition shows off the rough and scribbly style that was so masterfully transformed into the glorious stop-motion movie that we all know and love. Nevertheless, despite its rough appearance it's a timeless story full of amazing characters - and good old St Nick himself to save the day. We love it!

Charlotte's best bit: Charlotte absolutely loves Jack's ghostly dog Zero, and the bit where Zero and his glowing pumpkin nose takes his place at the head of Jack's skeletal reindeer sled

Daddy's Favourite bit: I've lost count of the amount of times I've seen this movie, I even have a pair of Jack Skellington slippers at home (and several mugs, and goodness knows how many times I've drawn Jack and Sally myself too!) - A hugely appealing story full of dark and gothic charm and this book captures it perfectly!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Disney Editions)

We've loved the movie, we've hoovered up the merchandise, we've listened to and sung along with the soundtrack on a loop constantly - and each year on Halloween and at Christmas we dig the movie out and play it - but what of the book? What of the original story that Tim Burton wrote and illustrated long before the movie became such a cult classic and Jack Skellington's face graced many a goth's messenger bag or hoodie?

What of it indeed. The 20th Anniversary edition of the book is now available from Disney Press and it's a fascinating look through the original idea, with some new illustrations by Tim Burton to embellish the story we're probably more familiar with because of the fantastic film.

The story is still brilliant. Jack is the pumpkin king of Halloween Land, though he's tired of spending each and every year planning spooky screams and scares for everyone.

While wandering in the forest, Jack and his faithful ghost hound Zero discover a trio of trees marked with interesting symbols. A gust of wind propels Jack through one emblazoned with a christmas tree, and after falling through swirling mists, he finds himself in Christmas Land.

(As I type this, "What's this" has erupted onto my internal Jukebox and I'm trying to remember the scene in the book and distance it from that magical scene in the movie).

Soon Jack decides that it shouldn't just be left to Santa to come up with Christmas, in fact anyone should be allowed to! Jack and his ghoulish subjects decide to cook up a christmas the world will never forget!

Tim Burton's original story is missing Sally, missing The Professor and missing the mad mouthpiece mayor but nonetheless it's a charming, thrilling and inventive story and this sumptuous edition is great to leaf through. Tim Burton's scratchy scribbly illustrations are wonderful, and though Charlotte was a little disappointed that the drawings weren't just visuals taken from the movie (once I'd explained why, she 'got it' though), she loves the story enough to hear its origins and see the characters that would eventually become so well known and well loved in their original forms here.

Charlotte's best bit: Zero. She thinks he's very cute, for a ghostly dog!

Daddy's Favourite bit: A fascinating glimpse into the earliest concepts behind a movie we've known and loved for years. Utterly enchanting and magical, and a timely book with Halloween coming up!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Disney Press)