Title: 5 Minute Christmas Tales  | Author: Stephanie Ward | Illustrator: Karen Saavedra | Genre: Children’s Short Story Collection | Publisher: Bookoli | ISBN: 9781802494891 | Release Date: August 2023

(From the publisher) The perfect length for bedtime, 5 Minute Christmas Tales is sure to get you and your little ones in the Christmas spirit. From the faraway, frosty North Pole to a cosy woodland feast, a world of festive friends and their adventures await. This beautifully illustrated collection of six Christmas tales is perfect for snuggly storytime fun.

• Gorgeous illustrations bring festive magic to each soft and gentle tale
• Perfect festive gift
• Six soft and gentle stories, each designed to be read aloud in five minutes

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5 Minute Christmas Tales was a project that I was commissioned to write for Bookoli, an imprint of Curious Universe. Working through the six story concepts with an experienced, collaborative editor was a fantastic experience. The forest theme and soft, sweet illustrations create a seamless reading experience across all six stories in the (new to me) 48-page format. Plus, I am an overly-enthusiastic enjoyer of Christmas, so it was a dream come true to work on a Christmas collection for children!

The book was released in late 2023, but I only found it this year when noticing that the illustrations on the cover seemed remarkably similar to the characters from the stories I wrote! The book is marketed from the publisher, not the author or illustrator, so it took a bit of sleuthing to figure it out, but when I had the book in my hands, my name was right there, on the back cover. It was a pleasant surprise to say the least. And now I get to enjoy the book this holiday season with my son.

Here’s hoping that this Christmas treasury brings smiles and Christmas spirit to young ones throughout the season. Happy Holidays!

As seen on The Sunday Post!