Published By: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320
Released On: 12/10/2021
One boy and his toy are about to change everything…
Jack loves his childhood toy, Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad. Until one Christmas Eve something terrible happens – DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life…even toys. And Jack’s newest toy – the Christmas Pig (DP’s replacement) – has a daring plan: Together they’ll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost, and to save the best friend Jack has ever known.
*****
I don’t need to reiterate my love for JK Rowling’s writing and how much Harry Potter meant to me. But it does mean I try to read any new book she brings out – even if that book is aimed at young children.
I wasn’t expecting this book to be quite so heartwarming and touching as it was. I know it’s based on her own son’s childhood toy, so I suppose it should be obvious there would be some emotional connection, but I thought it was just a story about a young boy and his cuddly toy. I didn’t realise it would have so many layers to it.
It’s a joyful adventure, full of exciting things to treat young readers, but with enough heart to keep adults immersed. I read this in one sitting one Christmas Day as it fully sucked me in and I had to know whether Jack succeeded in finding DP.
The illustrations are beautifully whimsical; detailed enough to portray the story but simple enough to entice children.
I read Rowling’s “The Ickabog” last year and now “The Christmas Pig”; I’m hoping these new kids books will be an annual thing for her, as I think they may great Christmas presents for the young and old and everyone in between.
Books By Your Bedside 