Batsford’s Christmas Gift Guide
Can you hear the bells? We certainly can! If you’re on the hunt for some wholesome Christmas gifts for your loved ones, then look no further than this cozy bookish guide.
Featuring a selection of our newest titles, as well as those that have been popular with our readers for years, this bountiful list of gorgeous Batsford books can bump up any Christmas stocking, keep loved ones curled up beside the fire, and relax their spirits this festive period. Plus, don’t miss out on our 25% off webshop launch offer when you sign up for our newsletter, valid until 15 December.
Start the new year afresh:
Bedside Companion for Food Lovers
Jane McMorland Hunter | £22.95
Eyes bigger than your belly? Once you’ve stuffed yourself silly this Christmas, why not indulge in a literary feast with Bedside Companion for Food Lovers? Featuring festive extracts from A Christmas Carol, Little Women and The Great Gatsby, this delicious anthology of food in literature will keep readers licking their lips and rubbing their tummies.
With extracts from over 200 authors, it embraces fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and even a smattering of recipes, with one piquant extract for every night of the year. With dishes born from literary giants as well as modern day food writers, travel in culinary time with this tantalising collection.
The perfect book to elevate a box of chocolates or shortbread, for those wanting to give a creative spin on a food-themed gift this Christmas!
A Nature Poem for Every Winter Evening
Jane McMorland Hunter | £14.99
Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.
From ‘Winter Time’ by Robert Louis Stevenson
Warm the soul in these chilly winter months with A Nature Poem for Every Winter Evening. Immerse yourself in the beauty of this frost filled season. Relish its raw beauty and appreciate its powerful inspiration for classic poets from William Shakespeare to Katharine Mansfield.
With one entry for every day through winter, this is the ideal book to take you through the darker months and find joy and comfort in nature.
The ideal read by the beside or by the fire after a long afternoon walk.
A Cloud A Day Journal
Gavin Pretor-Pinney | £15.99
Give the gift of calmness this Christmas with A Cloud A Day Journal, from the founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society.
For the loved one with a lot on their mind, this interactive journal with stunning images and writing prompts, encourages a gaze into the skies for a moment of calm.
The book includes a pin-wheel device, that helps readers match and understand the shapes that glide above them. Re-connect with the self as well as the wider world with this innovative and relaxing daily journal.
Books to wind down to:
The Poetry of Birds
Samuel Carr | £14.99
Look down from the skies and into the trees to discover the inspirations behind the sumptuous verses in The Poetry of Birds.
This beautiful collection, embellished with the stunning illustrations of JJ Audubon, widens the eyes to the plethora of ways these brilliant creatures have sparked joy, solace and creativity over the years. Poets have long looked for sources of inspiration in these tiny, tremendous beings; now readers can bask in their celebration together.
A must for every wildlife lover or classic poetry fan!
An Apothecary of Art
Ravenous Butterflies | £18.99
Make 2024 a restorative year with An Apothecary of Art.
Founded in 2013, RavenousButterflies is the immensely popular social media sensation, dedicated to healing their followers through the enlightening combination of words and art. This inspiring debut invites the reader to take charge of their own spiritual journey through 24 emotional journeys that lead to a variety of uplifting quotes and enchanting paintings.
Within its pages are the works of world-renowned masters and the paintings of lesser-known talents paired with uplifting thoughts from great poets, writers and thinkers. Readers are invited to indulge in their wisdom to heal the soul.
Taking care of mental health is more important than ever so why not treat a loved one to a lifted spirit with this beautifully illustrated collection?
Signed bookplate editions also available now!
Millie Marotta’s Animal Adventures
Millie Marotta | £12.99
Swap the cold weather for some winter sun this year with Millie Marotta’s Animal Adventures.
‘Queen of colouring’ Millie Marotta is back with an exciting new book to bring to life with colour. Prepare to be whisked away by Animal Adventures on an adventure around the world where you’re invited to colour in a host of glorious animals.
This bumper edition features 120 glorious illustrations, inviting colourists to indulge their creativity and bring these adventurous animals to life. Whether it’s the homely hedgehog or the other-worldly Chinese water dragon, award-winning illustrator Millie Marotta covers quirky and exciting creatures from all over the world.
Books to pair with that new hobby:
Happy Indoor Garden
Miranda Janatka |£20.00
For those who are new to having green fingers, Happy Indoor Garden is a practical guide to crafting a thriving green space within your home.
Studies have shown that a greener space is a calmer one. Paired with charming illustrations, this handy how-to moves the reader through each room of the house, advising on the best arrangements and proper modes of care to successfully create that calming botanical bliss.
With instructions on light levels, watering regularity and pot size, why not gift this book with a houseplant and watch it bloom on a loved one’s coffee table? Happy plants, happy home, happy human after all!
Simple Weave
Kerstin Neumüller| £14.99
Craft bands for beautiful gift wrapping, coasters for hot chocolate or tea towels to dry off the dishes that only come out at Christmas. Simple Weave has crafters covered with its accessible instructions to getting started in weaving.
Kerstin Neumüller demonstrates how you can weave with tools that are easy to make yourself and often small enough to fit in your pocket. Weaving’s not only fun, it’s rhythmic and mindful. Relish in the routine of this historic craft while creating modern-day keepsakes like laptop cases and Scandi-style bracelets.
For those that want to get stuck into something new this Christmas time, treat them to the book that weaves them a whole new world.
Learn to Paint Wildlife Quickly
Hazel Soan | £9.99
For the artistically savvy looking to speed up their craft or those who fancy getting themselves into painting, Learn to Paint Wildlife Quickly by best-selling artist and writer, Hazel Soan makes the magic of capturing everyone’s favourite animals an enjoyably easy feat.
Whether you are using watercolour, oils or acrylic, this book is filled with easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step exercises that can be digested in a short period of time, and written in an accessible way for all artists to learn about capturing the beauty of these wild beasts.
Illustrated with Hazel’s magnificent, colourful paintings, and with practical advice and demonstrations throughout, this book is the perfect tool to help beginners master animal painting – quickly.
Traditional Woodland Crafts
Ray Tabor | £20.00
If you know someone lucky enough to have access to their own patch of woodland, this book contains everything they’ll need to set up, manage and profit from a thriving coppice. But even those who don’t, there’s plenty of information on traditional woodland crafts here for the woodland dreamer: learn how to work with bought coppiced wood to make all manner of products, from the archetypal besom broom and humble tent pegs to sturdy gate hurdles.
Woodland crafts expert Ray Tabor guides you through a range of heritage woodland conservation methods. He introduces the best tools for each job – the time-honoured woodsman’s billhook being the most important of all – and the devices you’ll need. Full of invaluable advice, historical information, useful diagrams and evocative photography, this book will help anyone reconnect to nature and the environment, allowing them to gain immense pleasure from creating beautiful crafted products using heritage methods.
For family time:
Brian Cooks’s Spirit of London, New York and Paris Jigsaw Puzzles
BT Batsford | £15.99, £15,99, £16.99
For those lazy Christmas afternoon hours, why not gather the family around and immerse yourselves in the colours of an entirely new city?
Inspired by the vintage illustrations of Brian Cook’s iconic book covers, indulge in the romantic visions from a balcony in Paris, the dynamic streets of New York or the towering architecture of London. With 1000 pieces to keep everyone busy, these beautiful puzzles that celebrate three much-loved and timeless cities are the perfect way to unwind after a busy day and spend quality time with loved ones this season.
The Batsford Book of Chess for Children
Sabrina Chevannes | £9.99
Got a sense your niece or nephew is the next chess prodigy? Aimed at children of 7 and up, The Batsford Book of Chess for Children is the bestselling guide to everything chess for those taking their first steps into the game.
With the guidance of Jess and Jamie, two rough-and-tumble children who love to play chess, this complete guide explains everything the young ones need to know, from first sitting down at the board to sneaky tricks to help you beat your opponents.
Friendlier and funnier than the average children’s chess book, The Batsford Book of Chess for Children is an essential addition to any child’s bookshelf.
A History of the World in 100 Limericks
Mick Twister | £6.99
There is a young fellow named Mick
Who’s adapted the old limerick
To cover, with mirth
The whole history of Earth
And what made its characters tick.
Get your relatives giggling at Christmas with this bite-size book of the history of the world in five rib-tickling lines. These 100 lively and humorous limericks by Mick Twister take us back to the beginning of time itself: from the Big Bang to the present day. Covering everyone’s favourite history lessons (and a few surprising ones too), Mick cleverly raids the tomes of the past and picks at the bones of the world’s greatest figures, moments and events. Also a part-time cryptic crossword compiler, Mick Twister reports news in limericks on Twitter as @twitmericks, many of which have been reproduced by the Washington Post and the New Statesman.
Cleopatra, Henry VIII, Mary Wollstonecraft, Rosa Parks, Alan Turing and many more all get the limerick treatment along with the Berlin Wall’s Rise and Fall, the Boston Tea Party and the moon landing. Whoever said that history was boring had clearly never read this book!
Books for the explorer:
Sea Pools
Chris Romer-Lee | £25.00
Only the bravest of souls would go swimming this time of year. But both winter swimmers and those waiting for the sea to warm up will be excited to take a dive into Sea Pools.
This celebration of sea swimming – looking at the architecture, history and social significance of sea pools around the world, explores the resurgent appreciation of 21st century sea swimming and the rugged beauty of 66 of the most architecturally significant man-made pools.
With beautiful colour photography throughout, as well as fascinating archive material to give an insight into the provenance of these vital sanctuaries, this book is a really winner with every outdoor swimmer.
Atlas of Imagined Places
Matt Brown, Rhys B Davies & Mike Hall | £25.00
Christmas TV is always better, but instead of napping through It’s A Wonderful Life, enjoy learning with a loved one the real location of Bedford Falls.
Through years of research, this award winning book, named best Illustrated Travel Book of The Year 2022, tours you through the maps of fictional cities, countries and entire worlds. From Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot to the superhero land of Wakanda, from the wizardry of Harry Potter to Springfield in The Simpsons, this is a wondrous atlas of imagined places around the world. Locations from film, tv, literature, myths, comics and video games are plotted in a series of beautiful vintage-looking maps.
Gift the magic of another world this Christmas, and watch your loved ones cozy up and be immersed for hours on end!
Outlander’s Scotland Season 4-6
Phoebe Taplin | £6.00
This beautiful book, a companion to the bestselling Outlander’s Scotland, introduces more than 25 of the locations featured in the hugely popular TV show, concentrating this time on Seasons 4–6. The intrepid Claire and Jamie Fraser are starting a new life in America that is packed full of the adventure and romance fans have come to expect, against a backdrop of stunning scenery – still provided by breathtaking Scottish settings.
We also reveal some secret locations for the upcoming Season 7!
This gorgeous travel guide is a must-have for the legions of passionate Outlander fans, as well as everyone who loves Scotland.
Stocking fillers and dinner presents:
A Poem to Read Aloud for Every day of The Year
Liz Ison | £25.00
Out of the bosom of the Air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
Descends the snow.
From ‘Snow-flakes’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
When spoken, the poet’s words hit us more powerfully and meaningfully, and what’s more, it’s good for our health: mindfully reading aloud helps with relaxation, improves working memory and aids vocabulary acquisition. This Christmas, gather your friends and family for a cozy poetry reading by the fireside, or buy as a gift for those who love a bedtime story.
Find power in performance with this handsome anthology of 366 poems from around the world and throughout history, all especially selected for reading aloud, with one glorious poem for every day of the year.
From the obvious classics such as Wordsworth’s Daffodils and slightly more offbeat fare like Spike Milligan, there’s something for everyone in this book: poems that are funny, sad, consoling, uplifting and everything in between.
Treasury of Folklore: Stars and Skies
Willow Winsham | £14.99
If someone’s in need of some extra magic this December, The Treasury of Folklore: Stars & Skies explores the mysteries of the stars, skies and heavens derived from the folklore of cultures and countries across the globe.
The tales, traditions and myths included here traverse countries and continents and have been chosen to highlight how humans are linked through time and place, with shared dreams, fears and ways of rationalising the unknown.
The reader is found introduced to the Greek myths surrounding the constellations, the trials of the Hawaiian goddess Hina and the legend of the rabbit in the moon. Father Christmas isn’t the only mystical being in the air this time of year…
The Spirit of BMW
Vaughan Grylls| £12.99
Known as ‘the ultimate driving machine’, BMW is one of the world’s most prestigious car brands.
Beautifully illustrated with 50 evocative photographs of the iconic model, treat the classic car lover in your life with this captivating book. The Spirit of BMW outlines all the most iconic BMW models, from their first car, the Dixi of 1927, to today’s high-performance models.
Our books are available directly from us here on the website, from good bookshops and other online booksellers. To make sure you get your items in time for Christmas when ordering from us, please place your order by 15 December.
Banner illustration by Jessamy Hawke, from A Nature Poem for Every Winter Evening by Jane McMorland Hunter.
