Kipper's Christmas Eve

I got to the end of this book and it is missing pages. Not sure how many pages. I was definitely disappointed in this. I know I didn't buy new, but still wasn't expecting pages to be missing.

This is the story of Kipper, a quite sweetly painted watercolour dog by Mick Inkpen. Gorgeously simply, but beautifully coloured drawings. Kipper is out in the snow on Christmas Eve choosing a tree. He can't get it out but finally figures out how to do it. At the same time he dislodges a mouse. The only thing to notice this is Arnold who is a young pig (who doesn't talk yet) and his brother Pig. Pig helps Kipper get the tree back home, Arnold watches the mouse. There are two parallel but intersecting stories in this and it is actually quite conceptually complex for children to understand. Firstly there is Arnold, who doesn't speak and his pursuit of the mouse - quietly - which none of the others notice or realise is there - so Kipper and Pig are decorating thinking the things Arnold is doing are decorating too. There is the strange appearance of Tiger one of Kipper's other dog friends who drops round iwth a present and a snowball to throw at Kipper. And Pig who goes to wrap up Kipper's present and comes back with it badly wrapped. It is all the small things of life in a children's book - and all based around Kipper wondering if he likes Christmas day with its presents, or Christmas Eve with its anticipation of Christmas day the best. The really lovely thing about this book is that on the last page is a small flashing light which is the reindeer hat which Kipper has given Arnold. Arnold is wearing standing in the window waiting for Santa. The bulb takes quite a bit of hard wear from little fingers which have endlessly picked away at it since we got this book 3 years ago - it still works, so full marks for reliability!

My three year old daughter has had this book for two weeks (we got it after Christmas!) and asks me to read it to her at least several times a day - without giving too much away the surprise on the last page has her fascinated! The story is a really lovely one, Mum's and Dad's will enjoy it as much as the littlies!

Kipper's Christmas Eve is a delightful holiday book that will be a hit with all young children. Mick Inkpen's Kipper characters are darling as ever as they prepare for Christmas by finding and decorating a Christmas tree, exchanging gifts and waiting for Santa. There is a cute little stowaway mouse that children will enjoy looking for on each page and the lighted surprise at the end will be fun for all. This will be a great holiday book to read and reread.