Beautiful artwork reminiscent of a Dickens era Christmas grace the pages to tell a charming story about a young boy who only wants new skates for Christmas.

It seems almost impossible to believe there once was a time when children wanted something as simple as just a single pair of ice skates considering now it’s not Christmas without enough presents to practically hide the tree and there must be at least one $500 video game system in the bunch.

Taking into account the emphasis on gifts in modern culture this is the perfect book to be part of your holiday season. Poor Georgie who normally loves finding the perfect tree and decorating it doesn’t want to participate in the magic around him because his father told him he may not get the much desired skates. That would be the huge negative in teaching our kids to believe if they are good enough then they’ll be showered in presents and since not everyone can afford them what values are we really teaching year after year?

His mom has to point out that Christmas is not ‘ruined’ as many kids have a habit of believing when that perfect gift they wanted looks out of reach. Maybe the focus needs to be more on helping others instead of what we can buy.

It’s a lesson Georgie soon took to heart and did something truly glorious for his parents. Even better when Georgie received his skates his parents explained all the hard work they had to do in order to get them so he would understand that it was their love and not some mythic stranger who wanted to get him his present.

As a parent of kids who struggles every year to fulfill those Christmas present wishes I loved this book because the lesson it teaches truly exemplifies that the season is supposed to be about.

This is a really nice Christmas book set in the 1920s which explains to children that there is more to Christmas that Santa Claus and the presents he brings. The images are lovely and really in keeping with the period that the book is set - just a bit unsure after reading the book as to why it has "Thief" in the title - still overall a nice read - 4 stars

My daughter and I enjoyed this book. I liked that the book was based around family spending time together and their traditions. The boy and the dad getting the tree then the boy and his mum decorating. I also liked the Santa wasn't the main event in the book family was.
We will definitely be reading again around Christmas time.

Beautiful illustrations and a charming Christmas story to make your heart melt. A lovely reminder to children that not everyone is flush with money for fancy gifts, and thoughtful presents from the heart have much more magic!

This picture would be a great addition for a Libraries preschool collection. and it features the enjoy of Christmas.

A lovely short story about spending time with family during Christmas and a reminder of how important family is during Christmas. Lovely bright and colourful illustrations that perfectly match the book!

I think this book needs a new title. I was expecting something cheeky and fun loving. Instead I got a heartfelt book that many parents should read to their children during holidays. Our little boy really wants a pair of ice skates for Christmas, but his parents warn that Santa may not be able to make it this year. Times are tight and tough. The little boy decides to be Santa for his family and make gifts he thinks they will love. In the end he gets his skates, but not from Santa.

I think the reason I love this so much is that it shows a parent skimping and saving to get their child his wildest dreams. At Christmas there is a movement to make the small gifts from Santa and the big gifts from mom and dad. This is so that children don’t question why some kids get expensive extravagant gifts from Santa, and others get socks and underwear. I love how this story gets the concept across in a way that a child could understand. It’s perfect.