posted on 12 Dec 2023

Dasher Can’t Wait for Christmas by Matt Tavares

It’s that time of year again. You may well be on the look-out for a suitably festive Christmas story for your youngster – something beautiful that they’ll want to keep on their shelves for all their future holidays. Well, if that’s what you want, US artist and illustrator, Matt Tavares and Walker Books could have come up with the goods by publishing Dasher Can’t Wait for Christmas, the follow-up to his previously successful, Dasher.

We’ve all heard of Santa’s reindeers and it will probably be Rudolph (and his famous red nose) that leaps into your mind first. But those of you who are fans of the Santa story will also know the names of his other indispensable flying friends Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and……….Dasher, who is the hero of this little story.

In truth, this is a very simple story that younger children will immediately identify with. Why? Well, because young Dasher is so incredibly excited that she just can’t wait for Christmas to come around. As she counts down the days, she just loses patience with waiting and she flies off in search of the Christmas lights that people have made their houses and towns twinkle with.

Armed with the wise advice to always keep the Northern Star in view so that she can navigate back, Dasher finds just exactly the scene she’s been looking for – but she hasn’t anticipated the snow storm that’s brewing up.

Lost and exhausted, by the sudden storm, Dasher’s in all sorts of trouble – how will she get back in time to do her vital job with Santa and the rest of the reindeer crew?

A new friend, Charlie, comes to her aid – but I’m not going to tell you how because you’ll want to read that for yourself. What I can tell you is that Charlie’s kindness gets a surprise reward on Christmas Day.

It’s a charming, gentle fantasy but, for me at least, the star of the book is the stunning artwork. Tavares has a very painterly, realist style that is perfectly suited to the generous landscape format of the book and his ability to perfectly capture cold and warmth with quite subtle tweaks of colour is a joy.

The layout of the text on the page is also quite cunning. The words are set in a white, modestly decorated dialogue box on a page opposite a bold illustration and this simple trick has the effect of making it feel that, as you turn each page, you are in fact looking at the inside of a Christmas card.

Available now from your local independent bookshop – who will be happy to order it for you if they don’t have copies on their shelves.

 

Terry Potter

December 2023