Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Unicorn’s Christmas

Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Unicorn’s Christmas (Ladybird Books) by Rhiannon Fielding and Chris Chatterton HB RRP $14.99 ISBN 9780241489901

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

On the fly pages of this larger-than-usual board book is a coloured illustrated map of the Land of Nod – in daytime at the front of the book, and in nighttime at the back. Central to both maps is ‘Giants’ Town.’

The story, told in rhyming verse, beings on Christmas Eve when Twinkle the Unicorn is prancing through the trees. Dad wants her to go to bed, but she sees Santa Claus’ sleigh in the sky. There are only a few minutes to bedtime, but Santa has a problem – one of his reindeer is in bed with the flu and he still has 22 countries to go. Twinkle the Unicorn fills in for the sick animal and leads the sleigh.

Santa and his reindeer deliver gifts to children as the countdown continues to bedtime. Luckily, with only two minutes to go, the last gift is delivered (to Twinkle) and it’s time for sleep.

The maps on the fly pages don’t seem to replate to the story, but an imaginative child might make sense of them.

This book should appeal to children aged 3 to 6 years.