**Lauren Child *has published many picture books, including The New Small Person *, Absolutely One Thing, and A Dog with Nice Ears, as well as the hugely popular Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean series and a spin-off series of novels about Ruby Redfort. About this book she says, "My childho...

**Lauren Child *has published many picture books, including The New Small Person *, Absolutely One Thing, and A Dog with Nice Ears, as well as the hugely popular Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean series and a spin-off series of novels about Ruby Redfort. About this book she says, "My childhood memories of Christmas are all good--even the things that went wrong were good. Perhaps it's to do with that childhood wish for it all to be good that somehow makes it so." She has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal. Lauren Child lives in London.