Find Spot at Christmas by Eric Hill

It's Christmas and it's time to decorate the tree. But where is the star for the tip-top ? As they search, Spot himself goes missing. Where can he be?

It's over 45 years since English author Eric Hill noticed his toddler son was fascinated by lifting up a paper and peeking at the picture underneath and thus conceived this series of stories about a puppy in a lift-the-flap format, first published in 1980. Even though it is 10 years since his death in 2014, his stories are still being published and republished as their simplicity and interactivity continue to fascinate new waves of little people, because just as I introduced my little one to the stories way back then, so he did for his girls and now it won't be long before they share it with their children. Such is the power of stories that invite the reader to not only be an active participant in their reading but also be able to retell themselves the story without adult help.

If we draw on our knowledge of Cambourne's Conditions of Learning, then we know that one of the prime motivators of being a reader is the expectation that we will succeed and thus being able to tell yourself a story without adult intervention is very powerful. So as our little ones draw on what they already know about Christmas and put it together with the simple text, clear illustrations and the fun of discovery this one is a winner for sharing in these days as the anticipation grows.

Themes: Christmas, Dogs.

Barbara Braxton