This festive season consider gifting a book to your loved ones. Not only will you promote literacy but reading a book provides great entertainment and enjoyment.
did you know?
Iceland has a much-loved Christmas tradition called Jolabokaflod (translated to English as “the Christmas Book Flood”). Icelanders gift one another a new book on Christmas Eve and then read them together while snuggling down, sipping hot drinks and snacking on chocolate. What a wonderful way to combine the love of reading with a cosy family evening.
recommended festive gift reads for 2025
We’ve put together a list of suggested books for all ages and tastes.
Looking for more book recommendations, find our previous reviews here, here, here, and here.
children
0–3 years
A Phizz-whizzing Shapes, Roald Dahl
(Penguin Random House)
Your little ones will have immense fun learning to make shapes with this finger-trail board book. From circles and ovals to squares, this colourful illustrated book makes shapes relatable to everyday objects. A great book to help spatial development.
A Day at School with the Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
(Penguin Random House)
In this tabbed board book with easy to read text, the children get to experience a music class, paint, meet new friends to play with and read books. Beautifully illustrated, with easy-to-read text, this book celebrates learning. It is bound to ensure your child feels reassured about and eagerly anticipates starting at a new school or nursery.
When A Dragon Isn’t Well, Caryl Hart and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
(Jonathan Ball Publishers)
This colourful book tells the story of a brave little dragon who is sick. But she doesn’t complain, she faces her isolation and recovery with fortitude, never moaning, but rather finding ways to pass the time while resting. This is an ideal book for teaching toddlers about dealing with emotions and navigating new experiences.
3–7 years
Two People Can, Blessing Musariri and illustrated by Maisie Paradise Shearring
(Jonathan Ball Publishers)
This is an uplifting story of love and hope that relates the inner turmoil young Shinghai is experiencing following the loss of his father. When his destructive behaviour finally wears itself out and his mother expresses her feelings too and empathises, Shinghai realises that he and his mum can do things together. This book will help children navigate the complex feelings resulting from the loss of a loved one.
Penguins Don’t Like Pants, Jonny Leighton and illustrated by Robert Starling
(Penguin Random House)
Imagine how difficult it is for a penguin to get dressed – they don’t like wearing pants, it makes them wriggly and so do jumpers while socks are too tight. Getting dressed makes the penguins stressed, they’d much rather splish and plash and boogie to anything groovy. But … when they choose their clothing, it makes their imagination soar and leads to fun and games. This book will motivate children to try and do the things they don’t want to and have fun.
My First Frozen Adventure, Riaan Manser with Murray Williams
(Penguin Random House)
South African explorer Riaan Manser has authored another thrilling adventure that educates children about the Artic Circle and Iceland, its culture, the animals and nature. Manser and his companion kayak around Iceland, navigating treacherous high seas, battling fierce winter storms and braving an active volcano, among other challenges. This book, illustrated by Martinus Van Tee, captures their courage, determination and true spirit of adventure.
8–12 years
Pinch Perkins and the Midsummer Curse, Cathy Fitzgerald and illustrated by Chloe Dominque
(Jonathan Ball Publishers)
Pinch Perkins, a witch living in London’s magical quarters, races against time to save Londoners and her mom from a sleeping beauty curse in this enchanting tale. She teams up with her neighbour and rival Henry to find the source of the curse. Together, they face spiteful fairies, a clever magician and the terrifying boss of the Thames Mudlarks to solve the mystery.
Murray and Bun, Murray The Knight, Adam Stower
(Jonathan Ball Publishers)
Murray the Knight is a humorous tale about a cat named Murray and a bunny named Bun, who used to be a sticky bun with a cherry on top, but was transformed by Murray’s owner, a wizard terrible at magic. When Murray and Bun go through the enchanted cat flap they find themselves in a land of knights. They are tasked with rescuing Princess Rubytoes, but to do so they must defeat Sir Nasty in a jousting competition and avoid getting lost in a confusing maze.
The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas Of Lottie Brooks, Kate Kirby
(Penguin Random House)
In this, the sixth book in the Lottie Brooks series, Lottie’s awkwardness is huge! Hilarious moments, mishaps, friendship challenges and embarrassment dog the young Lottie as she navigates life, relationships and responsibilities, learning to deal with the the many ups and downs with kindness and empathy. This highly appealing, engaging and humorous book filled with teenage drama is an addictive read.
adults
Peggy, Rebecca Godfrey with Leslie Jamison
(Jonathan Ball Publishers)
This book is a historical fictional novel that brings to life the story of adventurer, art collector and feminist, Peggy Guggenheim. Daughter of two Jewish dynasties, Peggy’s life changed when, aged 14, her father died in the Titanic disaster. The story details her journey through the art worlds of New York and Europe as she pursues a life free from her family’s narrow-minded ways while facing anti-semitism and abuse. She mingles with the rich and famous, including James Joyce and Samuel Beckett, and discovers the transformative power of art, ultimately amassing one of the world’s largest art collections.
Small by Small, Dr Ike Anya
(Jonathan Ball Publishers)
This memoir, providing insight into a time of political turbulence and social change in Nigeria, details book-loving Ike Anya’s journey through his medical training, charting the triumphs and failures of his student days and his demanding year as a houseman in a Lagos hospital. Throughout his account of these years, Anya reflects on the importance of small moments that define achievement and success. This book is an interesting, informative read told with gentle humour, understanding and compassion.
Redemption, Jack Jordan
(Jonathan Ball Publishers)
A rollercoaster ride of a thriller, this book about avenging the death of a loved one and finding acceptance is a powerful deeply emotional read (although gory and violent in parts). Evelyn and Toby’s young son, Joshua, is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Consumed with grief and with their marriage in tatters, they seek revenge when Aaron, the convicted driver, is released from prison. Through his writing, Jack Jordan has captured the complexity of dealing with the emotions of guilt and grief and reaching forgiveness.
Here One Moment, Liane Moriarty
(Penguin Random House)
The story begins aboard a plane on a short flight between Hobart and Sydney where we are briefly introduced to each character. When an unremarkable passenger, an older woman, named Cherry, begins predicting when and how each passenger will die, some in horrific ways, the intrigue begins. This leaves the passengers wondering if she is a clairvoyant. The plane lands safely and the story then breaks into substories following the lives of some of the passengers and the impact of the predictions and inevitably their deaths. It’s a dramatic thrilling read that delivers a powerful message of living life in the moment and to the fullest.
A Short Life, Nicky Greenwall
(Penguin Random House)
Set in Cape Town, this book is related through multiple points of view across various timelines. It begins with two car accidents occurring on the same night on the same twisting road but in two different places – one is fatal, resulting in devastating consequences for the six friends involved. Only two know the truth about what happened and one is determined to reveal their guilty secrets, setting the pace for a compelling read with an unexpected ending about guilt, loyalty and intertwined lives. It made me think deeply about and question how much we really know about our friends’ characters and lives.
Earth, John Boyne
(Penguin Random House)
The second of four novellas in bestselling author John Boyne’s Elements series, Earth is a gritty (pardon the pun) story about Evan, who leaves his small island community for London where he hopes to pursue his interest in art. Secretly gay, Evan has an astonishing talent for football talent and soon turns pro. The book traces his journey to London where he becomes embroiled in a messy court case against his clubmate, Robbie, who is accused of raping a teenage girl. Evan is accused of filming the incident, but his phone with the evidence is missing. The book details Evan’s life in alternating chapters during the trial and reveals an insecure character who desires to be understood and loved. It evokes sympathy, but also makes you wonder if he is innocent. Metaphors about dirt, soil and earth feature throughout the book and remind me of how the roots of the land in which we are born continue to tug and shape the direction of our lives.
Thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers and Penguin Random House South Africa for regularly supplying books for review.
