Home › Books for Ages 4–8 › Letters from Father Christmas

Letters from Father Christmas

by J. R. R. Tolkien

Letters from Father Christmas

Regular price $22.87 USD
Regular price $38.12 USD Sale price $22.87 USD
Save 40%

Paperback New

Format

Print BookAvailable Hardcover $24.73 USD$41.22 USD
Print BookCurrently viewing Paperback $22.87 USD$38.12 USD
Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

AlbakiReads Editorial

Letters from Father Christmas

Built from letters Tolkien sent to his children each December, this collection presents an imagined North Pole through correspondence, colored drawings, and sketches. The letters recount seasonal mishaps involving Father Christmas, the accident-prone Polar Bear, and the elves, alongside trouble with goblins beneath the house. Occasional notes from the Polar Bear and Ilbereth the Elf add distinct voices to the collection. This edition also includes an introduction by Baillie Tolkien and a personal note by Tolkien, bringing together the family context and the illustrated Christmas stories.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children ages 4–8 interested in Christmas stories and illustrations.
  • Families looking for a book to share during the holiday season.
  • Tolkien fans curious about the letters and drawings he made for his children.

Themes

Christmas and family traditionsImagined North Pole lifeMishaps and adventureLetters and illustrations

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

For fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and lovers of Christmas holidays, Letters from Father Christmas is a gorgeous, full-color, festive gift and illustrated book featuring a wealth of letters and illustrations that Tolkien created for his children, appearing in a smaller, more reader-friendly trim size for the first time. This handsome edition also includes an introduction from daughter-in-law Baillie Tolkien, reflecting on the centenary anniversary of the letters, as well as a personal note by Tolkien himself.

Every December, an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien's children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful colored drawing or some sketches. The letters were from Father Christmas.

They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how all the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's house into the dining room; how he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; how there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house!

Sometimes the Polar Bear would scrawl a note, and sometimes Ilbereth the Elf would write in his elegant flowing script, adding yet more life and humor to these Christmas stories for kids. No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by the inventiveness and "authenticity" of Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas.

Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews