Pax: a festive tale

It looked like a bleak Christmas for all – until Becky had a bright idea

HELLO, little one!” Penny Dauntless greeted a robin-redbreast, who cocked his head as she pushed along her trolley of post on the daily round. “How often is there such a perfect mid-December morning?”

It’s another classic from the much-loved Belfast writer/illustrator Jeffers, known for Lost and Found and The Way Back Home. This one is about a little girl, Bridget, who has a birthday. She would lik

IT’S all over town, Ada,” Mrs Francome declared, leaning forward with her basket. “Butter and bacon to be rationed once Christmas ends! “That’ll be just the start, mark my words.” “It’s already starte

Violet, you shouldn’t have,” Anna gushed, pulling the reindeer festooned wrapping paper from the package and opening the lid. “It’s... lovely” she lied, lifting out the most garish and possibly uglies

Sarah looked down at her shopping list again, frowning. Why on earth had she been so pig-headed? Her parents had offered to do Christmas. So had John’s. But no. She’d insisted: since this was their fi