For grown-ups sharing stories with children aged 4–8. Free for families, classrooms and libraries, with no sign-up.
Ten quiet minutes, in your own way.
All you need is this page, paper and a pencil. A grown-up can read the opening below; children can talk, point, draw or simply listen. No book purchase or independent reading is needed. Stop whenever your readers have had enough.
Try it at home, with a classroom pair or in a small library group. Families celebrate in different ways, and some do not celebrate Christmas. Everyone can imagine the welcome in this story without sharing their own traditions.
1. Read the Christmas beginning.
Read these opening words from The Missing Christmas Star by Joshua Hall. Enjoy the bustle first; the questions can wait.
In Willowwick, Christmas began with a clatter: the kettle, the scissors, a splatter of batter. Dad folded paper. Mum warmed up the pot. Toby stacked toast till it wobbled a lot. Rosie cut stars with a snip and a bend. One spare chair stood ready in case of a friend. They packed all their ribbons and stepped through the door. Pickle checked under the table once more.
If your child wants another reading, listen for the sounds in the kitchen. You could whisper “snip”, tap a gentle rhythm or point to a favourite word. There is no need to find every rhyme.
2. Choose one thing to wonder about.
Pick one question and leave time for an answer. A drawing, a gesture or “I’m not sure” is welcome.
- What did you notice first? The wobbly toast, Rosie’s stars, Pickle under the table—or something else?
- Who might the spare chair be for? Imagine a visitor. What might they want to ask before joining in?
- What could make a visitor feel welcome? Perhaps someone saying hello, explaining a game or offering a quiet place to sit. Different visitors may choose different things.
You do not need to guess what happens in the book. The ideas you make here belong to you.
3. Draw a welcome for an imaginary visitor.
Draw a big table, a village square or a cosy room on scrap paper. Add a visitor of your own: a neighbour, a talking fox or even a snowperson with very cold toes. Give them a place to join in.
Ask, “What would you like to do?” Then draw or describe two possibilities. Your visitor might enjoy decorating, listening to a story or watching for a while. Leave a little space for an idea they bring with them. You can use these boxes or start on a fresh sheet.
Our imaginary visitor…
Something they could choose…
A question we would ask them…
Make it fit your readers.
- For ages 4–5: choose one detail from the opening and draw one visitor. A grown-up can write down the child’s words. That can be the whole activity.
- For ages 6–8: add a speech bubble or a short invitation. Imagine the visitor prefers something different: what could the host ask next?
- For a group: work in pairs, taking turns to suggest and listen. Sharing with the whole group is optional; nobody needs to explain what happens in their own home.
Finish with a little invitation.
Let your visitor say a final line, or choose one detail to keep in the drawing. Put it somewhere you can revisit together. There is nothing to submit and no need to send us names or photographs.
Ready for another look? See the illustrated Christmas opening, try a story circle about sharing a village green, or choose anotherquestion for reading together.
A free Willowwick website resource. Print and use without resale, keeping this credit. These prompts are separate from the books.
willowwickbooks.com