As soon as the calendar turns over for December, we're longing for Snow (though it's not much fun to try and commute through, it is lovely to imagine that the dusty cobweb-covered old sledge in the loft might get some action this year).

Imagine being tiny again, and looking out your window at the flurries and drifts of snow, and all the endless possibilities for fun that can be had.

That's what Sean Taylor and Claire Alexander perfectly capture in our Booky Advent Calendar book for Day 10, "The Snowbear".

Snow comes in the middle of the night, and Iggy and Martina can't wait to get out in it and make a snowbear.

Beautiful snowy landscapes and the sort of story that pinches your cheeks with that frisson of winteryness. Love it!

Oh my! A moment of danger and excitement.

Such beautiful characterful artwork to underpin a story that's destined to become a christmas classic

It's difficult to imagine how beautiful our locale looks when covered with a thick blanket of snow. At the moment we're surrounded by water, and the skies are grey and horrible but Holly Webb's "The Snow Bear" cuts through all that, instantly putting us in the mood for snuggling up in front of a log fire, mulled wine (or in Charlotte's case, hot chocolate with marshmallows) in hand, with a really good book.

"The Snow Bear" is a chapter book and it usually takes us a little longer to work through these but it was worth it. Setting such an atmospheric story out, it's the tale of a young girl called Sara who builds an igloo and a snowy little polar bear in her garden with her grandad as the first christmas snows fall.

As darkness falls, Sara settles down to sleep but is woken in the middle of the night. She looks out of the window to find that the garden has completely transformed into an icy landscape, the igloo has gone and her snow polar bear has come to life!

Nothing is as it seems as Sara embarks on a journey to find her way home, with polar bear cub in tow...

We really loved the illustrations in the book and these just add to the wonderful wintry atmosphere. If your child is just getting into chapter books, progressing from children's picture books then Holly Webb is definitely one of the most important authors producing work like this.

A book to take your time with, snuggle up and enjoy even if the snow hasn't quite arrived yet!

Charlotte's best bit: The way Sara loves her grandad as much as Charlotte loves all her grandparents (who are all awesome by the way, just in case they're reading this!)

Daddy's favourite bit: Holly Webb's luscious descriptive prose is superb, love the atmosphere of this book - akin to christmassy greats like The Snowman. Perfect for this time of year

(Kindly supplied to us for review by Little Tiger Press)

It's that time of the year when frantic parents are doing the mental arithmetic to try and work out how many sleeps there are till Christmas (Quick answer for today: a rather scary 48 sleeps to go! EEEK!) and are also looking for interesting book suggestions to pass on to Santa.

Little Tiger Press / Stripes Publishing have a rather nice selection of titles coming up for Christmas 2012, so dip in, dust the snow off your boots, snuggle down and see if any of these take your fancy...

"When Will It Snow?" by Kathryn White and Alison Edgson

An impatient little bear asks his mummy "Mummy, when will it snow?"
Bears should really be snuggling up underground, getting ready for hibernation but little bear doesn't want to go to sleep, he wants to stay and play in the snow with his friends. Will little bear manage to keep his eyes open long enough to see the first snows of Winter?

Charming illustrations and a heartwarming tale of friendship, "When Will It Snow" might just make you wish for a dusting of the white stuff!



"Ten Shiny Snowflakes" by Russell Julien

A great book for busy little fingers that like texture in books, and the great 'surprise' of watching each tiny shiny snowflake disappear as you make your way through the book. How many snowflakes can you count as they land on the end of your nose (or tongue). Younger children will love the bears and counting out the snowflakes to try and guess which one will 'melt away' next.







"Dear Santa" by Kathryn White and Polona Lovsin

When rabbit and bear find a lost letter to Santa in the woods, they decide to go on an epic journey to make sure it's delivered to the big man himself, Mr Claus.

"Dear Santa" tells the tale of the two friends as they trek through the snow, having many adventures along the way - but will they make it all the way to Santa's grotto before Christmas Eve?






"The Very Sparkly Snowman" by Stephanie Stahl and Veronica Vasylenko

A big, bold and beautifully sparkling snowman is the star of this next tale. Perfect for younger children who will marvel at the way The Very Sparkly Snowman grows and grows with each turn of the page. Textures and cut-outs provide a surprise at every page turn. Just how big will your snowman be when you build one in your garden? Bigger than this happy glittery fellah?







"One Starry Night" by M. Christina Butler and Tina MacNaughton

Little Tiger Press's "Little Hedgehog" books by M. Christina Butler and Tina MacNaughton are well known and well loved. In this tale, we find Little Hedgehog setting out on an exciting journey to track down a night sky filled with shooting stars. Half way through their night-time trek they run into a spot of bother. Will Hedgehog and his friends get to see the dazzling stellar display as darkness falls? Find out in this great addition to the "Little Hedgehog" series.






"Puppy's First Christmas" by Steve Smallman and Alison Edgson

What would it feel like if you hadn't seen Christmas before? A young puppy is confused. Mummy seems to have gone slightly bonkers, pinning up stockings around the house and dragging a tree in! What on earth is going on? Enjoy this snuggly little tale of a puppy's first christmas as puppy's friend cat shows the young scamp what christmas is all about, and how all the fuss and mess makes it all well worth the wait.






"On a Starry Night" by various authors, illustrated by Alison Edgson

This lovely tale of young animals snuggling down to sleep on a snowy night shares their dreams through a series of short stories by some of Little Tiger Press's best known and best loved authors. Find out what a young husky dreams of, how a young goose navigates the night sky and enjoy an anthology of perfect seasonal stories made for bedtime and cocoa.






"The Snow Bear" by Holly Webb

This beautiful and atmospheric chapter book is perfect for young readers. A young girl and her grandfather build an igloo in the garden, with a polar bear to watch over it. As the night draws in, the young girl wakes to find the polar bear cub has come to life, and the garden has transformed into a magical snowy wilderness.

So begins their adventurous journey to find their way back home. Beautifully illustrated with a superb cover by Simon Mendez.