Lucy & Tom's Christmas

Lucy and Tome

by Shirley Hughes

Follows a young brother and sister as they wrap presents, hang paper chains, write letters to Santa, and wake up to many surprises on Christmas morning.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, British Literature, Holiday

Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Shirley Hughes is the illustrator of more than two hundred children’s books and has won many prestigious awards, including the Kate Greenaway Medal twice. She is the author-illustrator of DON'T WANT TO GO! and OLLY AND ME 1 2 3. She died at her home in London on the 25th of February, 2022.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Shirley Hughes book (eek, not sure how that happened!) and I thought it was delightful!

Sweet moments are captured throughout the holiday season as Lucy and Tom prepare for Christmas. And then the big day arrives with presents and hugs for the family that arrives.

Hughes has a lovely endearing style to her drawing - I will certainly be reading and collecting many other titles from her.

Ages: 2 - 6

Cleanliness: mentions a little boy gets cross - very brief.

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[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful heartwarming story was read to me as a child and brings back so many happy memories as I now have the privilege of reading it to my niece. Nostalgic, homely, and a perfect read at Christmas time.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully British! Love the illustrations and the traditions their family does.

[Anne White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading. I'd forgotten how good the pictures are!

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The quiet joys of Christmas preparations and the day itself, with great sympathy for a child's perspective. Lucy and Tom's Christmas has been one of our favorite Christmas books since my oldest were babies. Hughes' illustrations are gorgeous-- so much detail and humor. Her take on children and family life is reminiscent of Mr Rogers' capacity for empathy. I also love the English flavor of these books, fun to point out expressions like "cross" that may not be so familiar to American children. Hughes is so prolific and I highly recommend seeking out her picture books- not always so easy to find on this side of the ocean. She has a lovely book of poetry called Out and About that was another household favorite.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Shirley Hughes illustrations & this story. I want a copy. It's the first Christmas book I've ever read that showed the children "posting" their letters to Santa by burning them in the fireplace. That is the one Christmas tradition I've always had & I love that it's an English tradition that not a lot of people in America know about.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite ever Christmas books, I have to read it every year without fail.

[Diane in Australia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the books in my daughter's Christmas collection.

5 Stars = For sentimental reasons.

[Kelly-Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Shirley Hughes.

[Abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Tom gets over-tired and cross, I gave it another half-star. There's a lot to love here, but too syrupy and vanilla for me to round up to four stars.

(The edition I read is actually Lucy and Tom *at* Christmas. I wonder if anything else was changed to, perhaps, Americanize it. Certainly not vocabulary like jumper and cross. I hope we in the States were not robbed of a an episode with crackers....)

[Kristin King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely time for read aloud with what I think are British traditions of Christmas pudding (Lucy and Tom stir), making cards, how they decorate and even what they give as gifts to each family member. My boys found it inspirational--and pointed out that we did Christmas crackers earlier in the week rather than at Christmas dinner. We own this and usually read it each year.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

December 2016 - cozy and sweet, but Ben wasn't especially interested.

[Anna Sangrey Roussel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet. My introduction to Shirley Hughes. A happy addition to Christmastide readings. Lovely, little illustrations.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dear little book! When I saw it at a book sale, I snatched it up for my niece's children. Lucy and Tom are English children who live in a small town. You see them preparing for and celebrating Christmas in all the traditional ways.

[Jenna Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and Christmassy

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect read with 4 or 5 year old at Christmas time! Better yet buy it and gift it to your child or grandchild and read it year after year. A picture book classic!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

(another one that is for my niece!)

but So so nostalgic and beautifully illustrated. really feels reminiscent of my own childhood Christmas days!

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

12/22/20 Read with Julia

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice description of an old fashioned Christmas.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my childhood books. I love Shirley Hughes. See if you can find the R2D2 toy, it's a fun little detail I spotted as an adult that I didn't know as a child!

[Jane Condon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the part were they are making Christmas cards and decorate the christmas tree because they are my favourite things to do at Christmas 🎄

[LudmilaM · Rating 4 out of 5]

So charming and wholesome. Loved the illustrations.

[Nick Swarbrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read and re-read over the years. It serves for me as an evocation of Christmas, and also in a curious way an instruction manual. Shirley Hughes writes and draws with an amazing clarity that gives her work a sort of authority. Yes, it is set in time, with ethnicity and class embedded, but is for me a beloved classic, and à compassionate and keenly observed account. Shirley Hughes is a great loss to children’s literature and this, of all her books, seems to me one that will last.

[Ange · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been a bit indifferent to Shirley Hughes' picture books, but I found this one charming. It's cosy and sweet and really captures the essence of the Christmases that I recall from childhood - apart from the weather, snow, fire, carol singers and winter clothes of course. Perhaps it's the spirit of the season that permeates this book, even for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere.

[Gaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have fond memories of this. I'm sure it is terrible though.

[Catherine Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One the finest Xmas books that I reread every year.
Read again Xmas 2020 and wishing so much my grandson was with me this year.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pros: lovely story and great nostalgic view of Christmas. Very charming
Cons: none really

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful depiction of a family's traditions during Christmas!