It’s Chriiiisssstmaaass!!!! Well, almost. But it’s definitely time to start buying Christmas books for all your favourite people. So, without further ado, let me introduce you to ‘Billy and the Balloons.’

Billy was out with his dad selling balloons on Christmas Eve and was desperate to hold the bunch, but dad keeps telling him that he’s too tiny. But when a gust of wind threatens to snatch them away, what choice does Billy have but to grab hold?

Well naturally, Billy’s dad has to hold on too because Billy’s just too tiny. As the pair soar through the snowy night sky, more and more creatures join them until eventually they bump into Santa and some very tired reindeer. Is there any way Billy could be rescued AND help Santa deliver all his presents?

What a thoroughly joyful romp through a Christmassy sky. Who hasn’t dreamt of drifting along on a cloud of balloons – with the added bonus of meeting Father Christmas himself?!

The illustrations themselves are rather lovely and are guaranteed to leave you feeling festive. Children will particularly enjoy the extra large fold-out page hidden in the book and marvelling at the ever increasing number of creatures dangling from the bunch of wayward balloons.

A totally charming Christmas read for anyone aged 3+

Meet the Author: Elizabeth Dale.

Once upon a time Elizabeth Dale dreamed of being a writer, but maybe because the wicked fairy wasn’t invited to her christening, she was led astray into the strange, confusing world of studying for a physics degree and managing the health service. Finally she came to her senses and began her writing career labouring on a portable typewriter with keys that jammed, battling with re-writes, tippex and carbon paper to produce her big novel  for adults that failed to impress a single publisher. Vowing never again to spend so much effort writing something no one wanted to publish, she bought a computer and quickly progressed to writing teenage and women’s magazine fiction, which both shared the same major attractions – they were much shorter and far more fun!  After her three daughters were born, she was re- introduced to the amazing world of children’s books which, as well as beingshort and even more fun to write, came with the wonderful bonus of allowing her to stop pretending to be grown up and stay a child at heart. And so she found the perfect occupation. 

Elizabeth has had nearly two thousands stories (teenage and adult) published all over the world, and has more than 80 children’s books published/commissioned, of which Billy and The Balloons, beautifully illustrated by Patrick Corrigan,  is the latest.  She and Patrick both worked together on a previous picture book, Save The Day for Ada May, published last year, which has won two Awards and been shortlisted for a third. Another of her picture books, When Betsy Came to Babysit wasread on the CBeebies bedtime hour.  Elizabeth is delighted  that afurther picture book – Chase Those Witches! – will be published by Salariya in 2021. This one – a complete contrast to Billy and the Balloons – is a highly interactive book, where the reader will be asked to stamp, make rude noises and tip and shake the book to try to help a little boy on his desperate chase across the world to the South Pole to rescue his pet frog, Bernie, from nasty witches, pirates and a monster!

Elizabeth lives in rural West Sussex, where she sits with her laptop keeping her knees warm and looks out at the garden, letting her imagination run riot, exploring the child within and trying never to grow old. Her three daughters have now flown the nest and all grown up to be children’s authors, too.

Merry (almost) Christmas!

Library Girl.