Father Christmas Goes on Holiday

Father Christmas Goes on Holiday
Raymond Briggs ~ Puffin, 1975

It's still sorta Christmas, right? Raymond Briggs is one of my favorite children's books authors, for no other reason than he's also a graphic novelist, and his picture books reflect that. My son loves his Fungus the Boogeyman (what little boy or girl wouldn't!?!), and that book has instilled a loyalty in him for anything Briggs. Most famous for the unforgettably wordless The Snowman, this book is actually a sequel to Briggs' original book, Father Christmas, but I couldn't seem to locate that one in our stash of Christmas books from the attic.

When Santa decides to go on a pre-Christmas holiday, he sends his pets to the kennel, fashions his sleigh into a motor caravan, and heads for the south of France.



Following some la creme nightmares and the absence of anonymity, he tries Scotland only to run into SHARKS!!! Finally settling on Las Vegas where the steak, french fries, ladies, and sun almost make up for the giant hotel bill.







































In the end, dear old Father Christmas remembers there's no place like home for the holidays.

Happy New Year everyone!