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A young girl who lives in a house with no chimney still hopes that Santa Claus will visit her in this wordless holiday tale, penning her letter to the Christmas gift giver before going to sleep on Christmas Eve night. The helpful fairy who lives in the tree beside her house takes a hand in matters, guiding Santa Claus to the house, making sure he gets the girl's letter, and helping him deliver the requested gifts. In the end, both Santa and the fairies are watching out for this very lucky little girl!

I had never heard of British artist Peter Colington before picking up On Christmas Eve from my public library's Christmas display, so I had little idea of what to expect, but I was drawn in by the lovely cover image, with its depiction of a wintry world at night - I have a weakness for images of snowy vistas - and I decided to give it a try. I'm glad that I did, as the narrative here, told entirely through the artwork, is quite engaging, while the artwork itself is beautiful. I would imagine that this tale of a child living in a residence with no chimney will resonate with many young people. After all, although the girl in the story lives in a house, many other children living in apartments might also have concerns about their homes lacking the 'traditional' entrance for Santa Claus, and might enjoy a story which addresses said lack in a creative and magical way. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories featuring fairies, Santa Claus and/or wordless narratives. ( )