Santa's Storytime Bookshop – Children's Book Advent Calendar

A hand-illustrated advent calendar for book lovers: find 24 hidden doors in Santa's cozy bookshop and guess the classic children's story behind each one.

Product description

It's Christmas Eve at the little children's bookshop on the corner. Snow is falling past the bay window, a toy train chugs along the top of the shelves, and two elves are busy on the rolling ladder. In the middle of the big rag rug, Santa settles into his red armchair, opens an enormous picture book and begins to read aloud. The kids in their pajamas lean in. Even the dog wakes up.

Hidden all over the shop are 24 little doors: in the treehouse reading loft, the pirate-ship bookcase, the round porthole windows, the clocks, the picture frames, the snowy window panes, the Christmas tree and the presents underneath. The very last door is the book in Santa's hands. Behind each one is a tiny hand-painted scene from a much-loved children's classic. Your challenge this December: find today's door, take a good look, and name the book.

Some are instant favorites that even little ones will shout out right away: a girl following a white rabbit, a puppet whose nose keeps growing, a little rabbit squeezing under a garden gate. Others will have grown-ups thinking hard. Expect a few friendly debates at the breakfast table, and a reading list for the whole new year.

How it works

1. Find the door. The numbers are tucked into the illustration and not in order, so the hunt is half the fun.
2. Open it. A famous story moment is waiting inside.
3. Name the book. Say the title out loud, then try for the author. Bonus points if you've read it!
4. Check your answers on Christmas Eve. All 24 books, each with its author and year, are sealed in an illustrated envelope. No peeking!

Why book lovers love it

• A puzzle, not just a countdown: every day brings two small challenges, finding the door and naming the story.
• 24 timeless classics: from Robinson Crusoe and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to Treasure Island, The Secret Garden, Peter Pan and Winnie-the-Pooh, with The Little Engine That Could saved for Christmas Eve.
• Fun for every age: easy picks for young readers, tricky ones for parents and grandparents, so the whole family can play together.
• Hand-illustrated artwork: a detailed ink-and-watercolor bookshop full of tiny surprises, like a pirate-ship bookcase, a treehouse loft, a quilt reading tent, hot-air balloons hanging from the ceiling and a cat asleep on a stack of books. It's lovely enough to keep up all season.
• Original illustrations: every scene is drawn from the classic books themselves, not from any movie version.
• A built-in reading list: every answer is a book to borrow from the library, read aloud at bedtime or give as a gift.
• Answers sealed until Christmas Eve: the illustrated answer envelope keeps the suspense (and settles family debates).
• Screen-free and sugar-free: a cozy daily ritual that lasts longer than a chocolate.

Perfect for

Book-loving kids and families who read together at bedtime, teachers, librarians and reading specialists (a lovely morning-meeting activity), homeschool families and book clubs, grandparents looking for a daily December ritual with the grandkids, and every grown-up bookworm who grew up with these stories.

What's included

• 1 illustrated advent calendar, A4 landscape (21 × 29.7 cm / 8.3 × 11.7 in), with 24 perforated doors
• 1 illustrated answer sheet listing all 24 books, with author and year of publication
• 1 illustrated "The Answers" envelope to keep the solutions secret until Christmas Eve

Good to know

• The calendar contains no food or treats. The surprise behind each door is a picture to guess.
• The answers are in English.
• Recommended for ages 5+ (younger children will enjoy it with a grown-up as the storyteller).

Give the young reader (or the lifelong bookworm) in your life a December full of stories. 📚🎄