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harvestwitch's review against another edition
5.0
This was so cute and whimsical. I’d like to do something like this for my kids one day.
audioandereadergrrly's review against another edition
5.0
Written over the course of 20 years, these letters are from Tolkien to his children writing as Father Christmas. I listened to the audiobook. The listener gets glimpses of Tolkien’s imagination with the other characters such as Polar Bear and the mischief he causes. I loved the stories of the goblin wars. Tolkien would also tie in real-world events, such as the depression and WWII. My only complaint about the audiobook was that sometimes the Christmas music was repetitive and the volume of the music would seem too loud at times.
jdk_andes's review against another edition
4.0
This is a relatively short read, but it is filled with fun and warmth. Like all good Christmas stories, it is about finding hope and joy even in dark times. Add to that some great illustrations and a pinch of Tolkien's fantasy worldbuilding, and you have a truly underrated classic. Tolkien's version of Father Christmas and the North Pole are unique and charming, and worth a read.
ayami's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 A collection of hand-written letters Tolkien wrote to his children as Father Christmas. You can see he must have had a lot of fun thinking up stories from the North Pole. The letters are sprinkled with beautiful pictures, made up runes and Elvish scribbles. A cute and original collection.
amurray914's review against another edition
4.0
A charming and wonderful book, not only a mere collection of letters from Father Christmas to [a:J.R.R. Tolkien|656983|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1434625177p2/656983.jpg]'s kids, but reproducing copies of the original artwork and letters, calligraphic art in themselves. The letters, spanning a time period of 23 years from 1920 to 1943, speaks to Tolkien's dedication and involvement in his kids development.
Each letter gets progressively darker as time goes on, with Father Christmas addressing fewer Tolkien's kids as they get older, the last melancholic letter addressed to Priscilla alone, the youngest. The mood reflects the growing austerity of the war years in Britain, symbolized by the goblin threat in the North Pole, and experienced by Tolkien and his kids alike.
A fun book to read with your kids at any time of the year, but even better while waiting for Santa!
Each letter gets progressively darker as time goes on, with Father Christmas addressing fewer Tolkien's kids as they get older, the last melancholic letter addressed to Priscilla alone, the youngest. The mood reflects the growing austerity of the war years in Britain, symbolized by the goblin threat in the North Pole, and experienced by Tolkien and his kids alike.
A fun book to read with your kids at any time of the year, but even better while waiting for Santa!
mhmissey's review against another edition
Lovely little book that shows how a father kept the dreams alive
missbookiverse's review against another edition
3.0
[3.5 stars]
This is a collection of very sweet and incredibly elaborate letters that Tolkien wrote in the role of Father Christmas (and friends) to his four children over the course of several years. My edition has many scans of the original letters, which showcases the marvel of Tolkien's typography and drawings. Next to that, I especially enjoyed the puns and the comments by North Polar Bear and it felt disconcerting how towards the end the tone of the letters changed due to WWII. Also, I must admit that the letters get a bit repetitive after a while, but I guess you'd feel differently about it if you only received one each year.
This is a collection of very sweet and incredibly elaborate letters that Tolkien wrote in the role of Father Christmas (and friends) to his four children over the course of several years. My edition has many scans of the original letters, which showcases the marvel of Tolkien's typography and drawings. Next to that, I especially enjoyed the puns and the comments by North Polar Bear and it felt disconcerting how towards the end the tone of the letters changed due to WWII. Also, I must admit that the letters get a bit repetitive after a while, but I guess you'd feel differently about it if you only received one each year.
pictrufa's review against another edition
5.0
Me ha parecido un libro súper entrañable, las cartas, todas ellas son preciosas. Y conforme Papá Noel va conociendo más a los niños, más confianza y cariño les tiene y las aventuras de sus ayudantes son cada vez más locas ✨ me ha encantado y en los dibujos del propio Tolkien se ve el esmero y el cariño hacia su familia.