Personalised Christmas sharing story book: your child Makes Room at the Table

What happens in your child Makes Room at the Table

1. Snowy visitors arrive with nowhere to go.
2. Your child notices there are not enough places at the table.
3. Your child gathers chairs, plates and mismatched napkins.
4. Each guest receives a thoughtful place setting.
5. Everyone shares a warm Christmas Eve supper together.

How the first page could read

Christmas Eve had made your child's home smell of warm rolls and cinnamon. The table was set for a small, cosy supper, with candles shining beside each plate. Then came a knock at the door: neighbours delayed by the snow needed somewhere warm to rest. Your child looked at the table, then had an idea.

Your child’s name, look and little details replace these words, and the whole story is written for their age.

Why this story works

At Christmas, a table can quickly become the centre of plans, food and visiting people. This story gives your child, aged four to seven, a practical role: finding extra chairs, folding napkins, choosing name cards and making sure each guest has a place. The snowy interruption keeps the plot moving, while the focus stays on small, useful acts rather than on presents or a big Christmas event. Repeated table details offer plenty to spot in the pictures, from mismatched chairs to a wobbly stack of plates. It also makes a fitting read before a family meal, when children can help set out their own place settings.

Reading it together

• Read it before a festive meal and let your child choose one job for preparing your own table.
• Pause at each new place setting and ask your child what would help that guest feel comfortable.
• Use the final supper scene to spot the chairs, plates and napkins that your child has gathered.

Suggested art style: Storybook watercolour

Storybook watercolour gives the snowy street, warm windows and busy supper table a soft, cosy feel. A sidekick idea: Pip, a tiny mouse carrying napkins. You can pick any of the four styles and change the details in the form.