Jasmine Richards on The Other Father Christmas and the best Christmas books for kids

We’re thrilled to welcome Jasmine Richards – one half of the writing team Serena Holly and founder of inclusive children’s fiction studio Storymix - for a special Q&A, celebrating her joyful new book, The Other Father Christmas. This fun, illustrated chapter book is packed with festive cheer and perfect for family reading, making it an easy pick for our Parakeet subscribers this month. Published by one of our favourite independent publishers, it features a wonderfully diverse cast embarking on a magical holiday adventure. Plus, we’ve created a Christmas activity pack inspired by the story, so you can keep the festive fun going long after the last page! Here Jasmine tells us about what inspired the story and which other Christmas books for younger readers she recommends you read next.

What inspired you to write The Other Father Christmas?

I kept coming back to one question: who actually gets to be centred in Christmas stories?
 For so many families I know, Christmas looks a bit different to what’s on the bookshop tables. The music, the food and the traditions that I see in my own family are very often missing.

Once I landed on the idea of a competition where Santa is looking for his replacement -everything slotted into place. I could see Curtis in my mind’s eye, a Windrush-generation grandad who played Mr and Mrs Claus with his wife at the local community centre for many years. A man who had always been The Other Father Christmas but who has lost his sparkle because his beloved wife, Claudette, has passed away.

How would you describe Mikey’s relationship with his Gramps?

It’s full of love and loyalty and previously lots of fun. Mikey misses who Gramps used to be before Gran passed, and he’s doing what children often do - trying to fix something without fully empathizing how complicated grief might be for Gramps.

And Gramps, even in his grief, is still Mikey’s anchor. They don’t always talk about their feelings directly, but the care is there in every action. The book is really their journey back to each other, just with a few rogue gingerbread house escape rooms and wild reindeer along the way.

What do you think is the most important lesson Mikey learns?

Gramps is not the same person he was before Gran died and that’s okay. Life events can change us and those changes are part of what it means to be human. He also learns how to tame a wild reindeer which is a very useful life skill

Which of the challenges would you most like to take part in and why?

The gingerbread escape room - absolutely. I love puzzles, and the series of escape rooms that they have to do for challenge 3 is basically my dream activity. I have a wild hope that one day I might be able to bring those escape rooms to life in the real world - that would be so cool.

Can you tell us anything about what the future holds for Mikey and his family?

What I can say without spoiling anything is this . . . Christmasland has a lot of charm and once you’ve crossed into that world, life will never go back to normal and so what does life look like now for Mikey and family.

Why did you choose to write books for this age group?

As Serena Holly I had already co-written a series called The Marvellous Granny Jinks with the wonderful Sareeta Domingo and that series was for this 7+ age range.  The Other Father Christmas felt like a really natural next book. When writing for 7+ you know that you don’t have the luxury of many words and so you have to be disciplined - how are you going to cram in the adventure and the character development and still keep a reader aged 7+ engaged? It’s actually rather challenging and this is why I am so pleased that I got to work with my co-writer Priscilla Mante on this so that we could both think of ways to keep the action tight but the main characters central.

Do you have a favourite place to write?

I’ll write anywhere. I actually love writing on buses and trains - I think the movement helps me think.  I’ve also been known to write in the car before the school pick-up. But if I get stuck - I need to be near the sea.

Being near the sea does something to my brain. It clears the noise. That’s partly why I created The Write Beach Hut. This is a little beach hut that I bought and refurbed on the Essex coast - a place called Mersea which is magical. it might also have been an example of peak procrastination - I can neither confirm nor deny that!  Still, I’m so proud of the space. A little sanctuary by the sea where writers and readers can have a day away from the noise and the hustle and bustle and give themselves a pocket of space to think and reflect.

Which other Christmas books for younger readers would you recommend?

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs will always have my heart. It’s atmospheric, tender, and trusts children to feel the story without a single line of dialogue. I also love The Snow Girl by Sophie Anderson as well - it feels classic yet accessible and is lovely to read out loud.

I’m super excited to read Anisha, Accidental Detective: Christmas Chaos by Serena Patel - we’re a big fan of the series in our house.

The truth is, the festive shelf is still far too homogeneous for my liking but that is slowly changing. The Other Father Christmas is  a cracking adventure with lots of emotional moments and laughs (and reindeer snot) but it is also an invitation for all kids to see themselves in the magic of Christmas. There’s room at the table.

Copies of our The Other Father Christmas pack, including a copy of the book and loads of fun activities to go with it, are now available for individual purchase. Grab a copy while stocks last!