Everyone is scattering to different places and Clarice is afraid that the spirit of Christmas will be lost. She's worked with mixed media, pioneered text as an integral part of illustration and collaborated with artists across different fields. So many Christmas books are picture books, and I love them, but to have a middle-grade Christmas book, well, that's a treasure.

As was the calculating of exactly how many potatoes would be needed for Clarice’s perfect Christmas … oh and the turkey … and so many other beautifully crafted moments. Join the one and only Clarice Bean and 'Think Like an Elf' in this irresistible and spectacularly sparkling Christmas story from the inimitable Lauren Child. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005), a panel named it one of the top ten winning works, which comprised the shortlist for a public vote for the nation's favourite. She’s been at the forefront of innovation for 20 years and has collaborated with high-profile artists across different fields.

The illustrations and the writing style were acutely creative, unique and playful and I enjoyed the different style fonts and sizes. Still, there’s a lot to do even to prepare for a Christmas for seven, whether that’s remembering to send off Granny’s parcel to New York, taking singing lessons for the Christmas concert, making fudge or helping Clarice’s friend Karl walk his dogs – and source a perfect wooden spoon.

During that time she focused on raising the profile of illustration as a sophisticated art form for all ages. The hardcover version - beautifully produced pages, fonts and illustrations - is a package of delight. Even if you’ve never read a Clarice Bean book before, you will fall in love with this brilliantly narrated story of thinking about others, doing kind things and believing that your biggest Christmas wishes can come true. Lauren Child MBE is a multi-award-winning author and illustrator whose books are timeless classics, known and loved the world over.She is joyful and hopeful and energetic without being stupidly sentimental; she is funny and real in her disappointments and worries but doesn't give up. I was so surprised to find this on the shelf that I instantly snapped it up and didn’t regret it once.