Expect the unexpected with new book 'Best Christmas Ever'
Santa falls over on roller skates. Dad, arms piled high with Christmas shopping, doesn’t spot the manhole in front of him — when we see him next, he’s on crutches.
Best Christmas Ever, €8.24, is a festive-themed children’s story with a difference, the second in the Best Ever series of books by Fermoy-based husband and wife Celia and Orison Carlile. The book has the young narrator describing the best Christmas ever, but the illustrations reveal a series of hilarious disasters — contradictions abound between words and pictures. As an illustrator, Celia says she naturally wants to let the pictures tell more of the story than the words.
“We thought: What if the illustrations told a completely different story [to the words]? Orison has a brilliant sense of humour and he came up with these great ideas. There’s one funny mishap after another, but the relentlessly optimistic narrator describes everything in a positive light.”
This reflects the positivity, spontaneity and innocence of children, say the authors, who feel the story is suitable for children aged seven-plus, as, at this age, they’re “beginning to be aware of the ironic and sometimes wicked side of humour”.
As former teachers, both Celia and Orison see the importance of engaging children’s multiple intelligences, so there’s a musical component to the series, with a song accompanying each book (that you can download online) — the notes are printed for musical wizards who want to play it themselves. Unlike the more roguish book, the song will appeal to a younger age group.
The Carliles’ son and daughter are grown up, but the couple always read to them as children and Celia recalls her son, aged around six, saying “books are better than videos”. She taught seven-year-olds and she’d recognise the children who’d been exposed to books.
“They’d be the ones who were all enthusiastic about books they’d bring in. They’d pick up words straightaway. I encouraged reading for every child... Children who don’t like reading just haven’t been exposed enough, they haven’t yet found the right book. You just need to have plenty of books to explore.”
Reading isn’t something you “get” children “to do”, say the couple. It’s something you do with them. They advise discussing the stories and developing vocabulary in the process. Ask open-ended questions: Why do you think he did that? What do you think would have happened if..?
“Children don’t get bored re-reading a story, they love the familiarity and security of knowing how it’ll work out.”
