Best children's books for Christmas - win over £200 worth of gorgeous gifts

A favourite Aunt and Uncle gave me a little carved wooden trinket box for Christmas when I was 10 years old. It is six inches square, lined with red velvet, the top of the hinged lid is a painted tile. I thought it the prettiest thing I’d ever seen and fifty four years later the thought of it still makes me smile. I no longer use it but it’s in a box of ‘things I cannot bear to throw away’.

My uncle bought me a Pink Fairy bike and left it outside the back door at my nan's house. The very best bit was that he got hold of some bells and shook them outside the back door so I could hear them and then came in and said 'quick, Santa is outside!' of course, I missed Santa but found the bike.

I'd forgotten until this came up!

My favourite Christmas present was my roller skates. They were the adjustable sort that fitted over your shoes. Not very easier to skate in and I had many accidents in them as we lived on a hill!

I remember one Christmas receiving a beautiful big doll from my grandmother, but what made her special was that she came with a box of 3in vinyl discs, which slotted into her back and they would play Christmas Carols and Nursery Rhymes.

We didn't get much for Christmas, as my father was a chronic invalid and couldn't work.
One Christmas, I had asked for a watch or a painting by numbers set. On Christmas morning, the watch was on the mantelpiece, I was so happy. Then I looked round and there was the painting by numbers set. They were oil paints and the picture was of a ballerina. Oh how I loved that painting set.

This might sound a bit sentimental but my best Christmas present as a young child was having my Mum home from hospital. She was often ill and it had been expected she would be in hospital over Christmas. I wasn’t allowed to visit, too young, had to be 7 to visit back then. To come home and see her there was the best thing in the world.

I had a big china doll that I had had since I was two and one year an aunt who was a seamstress made the most beautiful clothes for her which I still have.Amongst them was a green corduroy coat and hat and a yellow fur edged dress

I have just looked at the selection of books and was delighted to see Dogger by Shirley Hughes.That was my daughter's favourite Christmas present when she was a child. I am glad to see it is still going strong.

Blue Timex watch on a beautiful Cinderella figurine.
I wish I still had my lovely Cinderella

Greenfinch that's reminded me of the China doll I had. One Christmas I awoke to find a lovely new pram Santa had brought. I was impressed. Then dad said 'have a look inside.' There was my doll, mum had made her a brand new outfit. (She made all our clothes) I took the doll to school one day and my friend bashed it's foot on the desk, so she ended up with a big hole in her foot.

I always wanted a train set and in the early 1960s that was considered an unsuitable toy for a girl. My dad borrowed a Hornby train set so I hot to play with one for a few days, it felt very special. I now make sure that my GDs and GS all have a chance to play with whatever they want, with hopefully no gender bias.

The toy I remember was a wooden three legged piano and the keys were numbered I loved it

I would love these books for my grandchildren we love to read together

My favourite gift as a child was a box set of Anne of Green Gables. I read it over and over again, it transported me away to an island with red sand and I loved it.

My favourite gift was Barbara. I'd seen this beautiful baby doll in a shop display and fell in love with her. When she was in my stocking on Christmas morning I was stunned. I knew then that Father Christmas was wonderful. How could he have known that Barbara was meant to be with me? I still have her packed away & she still says "mama"

Mine was also a doll, a life-sized baby doll that could be bathed and wear real baby clothes. I christened him (yes, really) Andrew. At 10, I was actually too old for dolls by then, or so my Mum said, so I didn't think I'd get him. I adored him and I still have him.

I will never forget being bought some new clothes to wear on Christmas Day. They were a beautiful tartan kilt with large safety pin and a really soft cardigan and new socks. I can remember carefully folding and unfolding the clothes and just couldn't wait for Christmas morning to get dressed. I think I had a lot of 'hand me downs' which probably explains why this memory is so strong.
Circa 1956 😄 That memory has made me happy x

Mine was a bride doll in a beautiful long box which looked to me about six foot! She was my pride and joy and I gave her to my first granddaughter after having three sons!

I loved my Sindy, Patch and Paul dolls and was absolutely thrilled when I opened a wonderful dolls house which had been made by my father and decorated by my mother! This was a complete surprise and very much appreciated as I knew how many hours Mum & Dad worked, never complaining. I kept this house for years and used it for shoes when I stopped playing with dolls, such a happy memory.

My favourite present was a doll’s cot that my Dad made for me. My Mum made a mattress and all quilted bed clothes to go inside. It even had a drop side like a real cot!

A set of The Children's Encyclopaedia, I loved reading, and wasn't good at sport or playing with girly toys. I must have spent hundreds of hours dipping into these wonderful books.

A black Labrador puppy called Penny, I loved her so much.

This got me thinking and my outstanding favourite toy was my teddy which, although very worn, I still have. Mum persuaded me to call him Brumas and told me it was the name of a famous bear in London Zoo. Thanks to the internet I have just looked it up and found out this was the first successfully bred polar bear at the zoo. I'm pleased to see Dogger in the book bundle. A firm favourite with my children and now with my five year old grandson.

It was a Silver Cross dolls pram when I was about four. It was so well made that our neighbour used to borrow it when her baby nephew visited. She would take him for a walk in the pram. It was kept, and my daughter played with it when she was small. How sad that it must have been given away then, as we now have two granddaughters.