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The wonderful writer Kate Forsyth(author of Two Selkie Stories from Scotland, amongst many other books!) has just written a lovely little review of Two Fearsome Fairy Tales from France(by Adele Geras and Fiona McDonald) in her summer reading round-up on the Booktopia blog–which has more than 100,000 readers!

Here’s a short extract:

Christmas Press has been quietly producing a range of exquisite fairy tale retellings with gorgeous illustrations for the last couple of years. This beautiful edition has the Jerusalem-born author Adele Geras retelling Beauty & the Beast andBluebeard with illustrations by Fiona McDonald (who also illustrated my own contribution to the series Two Selkie Tales from Scotland).

You can read the full thing here. (Scroll down)

Source: An essential book link: an interview with Dennis Jones, distributor

We were thrilled to discover that our 2014 title, Kate Forsyth and Fiona McDonald’s beautiful Two Selkie Stories from Scotland, was mentioned in the brand new 2015 edition of the very prestigious Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales, edited by Jack Zipes. The book and its creators was mentioned within an entry on Kate. Another of our authors(and one of Christmas Press’ founding partners), Sophie Masson, also had an entry in the Oxford Companion, for her fairy tale novels.

A very nice post-Christmas review of Three Dragons for Christmas has just come in, published in Reading Time. You can read it here.

It’s going to be a great year! We have some fantastic books coming up in 2016: as well as two picture books and a Christmas anthology in our main list, we will be debuting two new imprints: Second Look and Eagle Books. More soon!

Duncan Ball’s and David Allan’s lovely book, Two Tengu Tales from Japan, just keeps getting more and more great reviews! The latest is from the Children’s Book council of Australia’s Reading Time online magazine, and is just terrific.

Here’s a short extract:

This is a lovely book that clearly demonstrates the careful thought that has gone into every aspect of its production. It is an Australian published text which retells two Japanese folkloric tales about the tengu who can magically grant wishes to those who ask for them.

You can read the whole thing here.

We celebrated the release of Three Dragons for Christmas with a lovely launch in our home town of Armidale on the weekend. And we were delighted that the wonderful illustrator Ann James, who was in town doing workshops, was able to do the launch honours! She gave an absolutely lovely speech, much appreciated by everyone there! Below are some pics from the day.

Yes, today is the day our beautiful illustrated storybook, Three Dragons for Christmas, is officially released, and to celebrate, we’ve made a trailer for your enjoyment!

Note too that the audio book of Three Dragons for Christmas is also available for purchase at our Bandcamp store. Print and audio editions together make the perfect Christmas gift for that special little person in your life!

We are delighted to announce that Two Tengu Tales from Japan has received a five-star review from reviewer Merle Morcom in the new(October) issue of Good Reading Magazine! Here’s an extract:

Duncan Ball retells these two old Japanese tales so simply, while David Allan weaves pure magic on every page with his classic Japanese-style art. A perfect book to introduce young children to the magic world of Japanese folklore.

Another lovely review to add to the growing list for this beautiful book! Here’s an extract:

Highly recommended. Christmas Press continues their celebration of stories from around the world. This impressive, beautifully illustrated picture book is a retelling of two Japanese folk tales. Duncan Ball author of the Selby the talking dog and Emily Eyefinger series introduces the tengu, magical forest goblins who grant wishes to people who need a miracle. They are tricksters and there is always a sting in the tail. There’s always a consequence, often unexpected. Good and evil, poor and rich are themes that resonate here….David Allan’s art nouveau styled scenes, inspired by Japanese paintings and linocuts, are wonderful, bringing the stories to life. They evocatively set the scenes, showcasing the traditional ways of life, the mountains and countryside. An engaging read for families and classes, one to share with young and old.

Read the whole review here.

Enjoy!

We have great Teachers’ Notes for all our folktale collections, and have just put up a set for Two Tengu Tales from Japan, which features a great article by Duncan Ball, illustrated with his photos, about his encounters with the folklore of Japan, especially the tengu. You can down load it for free on the Teachers’ Notes page. Note: all copyright in the notes remains with Christmas Press, and all copyright in the article and photos remains with Duncan Ball.