The Cat Who Ate Christmas Read online

  Q. What goes “Oh, oh, oh”?

  A. Santa walking backwards!

  Q. Why did the turkey cross the road?

  A. Because it was the chicken’s day off!

  Q. Who hides in the bakery at Christmas?

  A. Mince spies!

  Q. What did one snowman say to the other snowman?

  A. I can smell carrots!

  HOW TO MAKE COCOA

  Dad made cocoa to cheer everyone up after Jingles caused chaos! Here’s the recipe so you can enjoy it, too. You will need a grownup to help you.

  INGREDIENTS:

  2 cups of milk

  1 tablespoon of powdered sugar

  2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

  2 oz dark chocolate, finely grated (ask a grownup to do this for you!)

  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

  Whipped cream, marshmallows, sprinkles (optional, for decorating)

  INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Pour the milk into a large saucepan. Ask a grownup to turn the heat up to medium and wait until it is simmering gently (not boiling).

  2. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, grated chocolate, and cinnamon. With the pan still on the burner, whisk for a couple minutes until all the ingredients are mixed.

  3. Ask a grownup to carefully pour the hot cocoa into mugs. Add whipped cream, marshmallows, and sprinkles to decorate, if you want.

  4. Drink your cocoa and try not to get a chocolate moustache!

  HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS ANGEL

  In the story, Mom is an artist and has made lots of beautiful Christmas decorations. Here’s how you can make your own Christmas angel to go on top of your tree.

  YOU WILL NEED:

  • A toilet paper roll

  • Stiff paper (for the angel’s wings—any color you like)

  • Wool, string or strips of fabric, or paper (for the angel’s hair—any color you like)

  • Colored pens, pencils, or paint

  • Child-friendly scissors

  • A glue stick

  • Any decorations that you like! You could use sequins, stickers, tinsel, feathers, shapes cut out of colored paper or fabric, etc.

  • Our template for the angel’s wings (p.95). You can trace it or ask a grownup to photocopy it for you.

  INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Use the template on the next page to draw the outline of the angel’s wings on your stiff paper. Cut out and decorate as you like. If you have feathers, you could glue them on!

  2. Glue the wings on to the back of the toilet paper roll as seen in the picture here.

  3. Glue the angel’s hair on to the top of the tube as in the picture below. Leave room for her face!

  4. Draw the angel’s face. You can also decorate the rest of the roll with your colored pens, pencils, or paint, and any decorations you have.

  5. When the glue is dry, you can ask a grownup to place your angel on top of the Christmas tree.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Lil Chase lives in London with her husband and daughter. Having been a bar cook and even suffered a brief stint in Disneyland Paris, she settled on a career in her first love—telling stories. Visit her online at www.lilchase.com.

  ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

  Thomas Docherty is an acclaimed author and illustrator of children’s picture books, including Little Boat, Big Scary Monster, The Driftwood Ball, and Jenny Colgan’s Polly and the Puffin series. The Snatchabook, which was written by his wife Helen, has been shortlisted for several awards in the UK and US and has been translated into 17 languages.

  CONGRATULATIONS!

  Congratulations to Millie from Fairways Primary School, who won the competition to name the kitten in this book with her suggestion of “Jingles.” A big thank you to Millie, and to all the children who entered the competition, which was hosted by Lovereading4kids.co.uk.