Season’s readings: The Night Before Christmas by Clement C Moore
Xan Brooks: Clement C Moore's 19th-century verse - alongside Grandma Moses' idiosyncratic illustrations - continue to cast a Christmassy spell
Season’s readings: The Box of Delights by John Masefield
Alison Flood: This magical adventure, with wonderfully evocative seasonal descriptions, is hard to beat as a festive read.
Picture books for young children – reviews
Jeannie Baker's dual-language Mirror celebrates what matters most at Christmas, while Lauren Child's Slightly Invisible is the author at her playful best, says Kate Kellaway
Season’s readings: Babar and Father Christmas by Jean de Brunhoff
Richard Lea: The antic details of the King of the Elephants' quest for Santa are wonderfully endearing
Season’s readings: The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden
Imogen Russell Williams: Continuing our series on favourite Christmassy books, a plaintive tale from the author of The Diddakoi.
Season’s readings: Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs
Sam Jordison kicks off our series on favourite Christmassy reads with some gloomy magic from Raymond Briggs
The Hunt for the Scroobious Pip – review
The Hunt for the Scroobious Pip reads like an absurdist version of Aesop – a conference of creatures debate the taxonomy of the Pip, which is neither flesh nor fowl, writes Alfred Hickling
Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama – review
Barack Obama's picture book is surprisingly good, says the children's laureate, Anthony Browne
Should Barack Obama lead a free world of celebrity children’s authors?
Imogen Russell Williams: The president's book for children, Of Thee I Sing, could undermine him. But compared with other star turns, it's lovely
When We Lived in Uncle’s Hat – review
Tutti Frutti's latest show, When We Lived in Uncle's Hat, at the Theatre Royal, York, elegantly adapted by Finegan Kruckemeyer from the charmingly surreal book, is a showpiece of masterful clowning, writes Alfred Hickling
Children’s authors in schools: literature’s road warriors
School visits are increasingly accepted as a vital foundation for inspiring new generations of readers
What are the best learn-to-read books?
Imogen Russell Williams: With a baby on the way, I'm already casting around for the most appealing ways to pass on my addiction
Mashing up children’s books with monsters
Whatever you think of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, letting monsters loose on classic children's books has got to be a good idea
Audrey Titcombe obituary
Other lives: The author of the Tat the Cat children's books was also an ardent socialist