Shirley Hughes (1927–2022) illustrated more than 200 children’s books and is one of the best-loved writers for children. She won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and was awarded the OBE for her distinguished service to children’s literature. In 2007, Dogger was voted the UK’s favourite Kate Greenaway Medal-winning book of all time.

“You can almost smell the seasonal sugar and spice in Snow in the Garden: A First Book of Christmas from Shirley Hughes. Nobody captures the joy of each season, the way the light falls and the world looks at different times of the year, or the tiny details of family life, quite as well as Hughes. This collection of Christmas-themed stories, poems, recipes and craft ideas deserves to become as well-thumbed and covered in crumbs as all of her previous books.”