The Father Christmas Letters facts for kids
First edition
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| Editor | Baillie Tolkien |
|---|---|
| Author | J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Illustrator | J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Cover artist | J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy, children's literature |
| Publisher | Allen and Unwin (1976) Houghton Mifflin (1976) HarperCollins (2004) |
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Publication date
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1976, reprinted in 2004 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-395-24981-3 (1976) ISBN: 0-261-10386-5 (2004) |
| OCLC | 2603606 |
| LC Class | PZ7.T5744 Fat4 |
| Preceded by | Bilbo's Last Song |
| Followed by | The Silmarillion |
The Father Christmas Letters, also known as Letters from Father Christmas, is a special collection of letters. These letters were written and drawn by the famous author J. R. R. Tolkien. He wrote them between 1920 and 1943 for his own children. Each letter was supposedly from Father Christmas himself!
The book was released after Tolkien passed away, on September 2, 1976. This was three years after his death. The letters were put together and edited by Baillie Tolkien. She was the second wife of Tolkien's youngest son, Christopher. Many people liked the book. Some even think that parts of these stories gave Tolkien ideas for his other famous books, like The Lord of the Rings.
Contents
The Story in the Letters
The stories in this book are told through a series of letters. These letters are written either by Father Christmas or by his elf secretary. They tell about all the exciting things that happen to Father Christmas and his helpers.
His helpers include the North Polar Bear and his two little bear cubs, Paksu and Valkotukka. The letters describe huge fireworks that create the beautiful northern lights. They also show how the Polar Bear often gets into funny trouble!
One letter from 1939 mentions the Second World War. Some of the later letters describe Father Christmas fighting against Goblins. People have thought that these goblin battles might show Tolkien's feelings about the big challenges and conflicts happening in the world at that time.
How the Book Was Published
J. R. R. Tolkien wrote these letters over more than 20 years. He wanted to entertain his children every Christmas. He started in 1920 when his oldest son was three years old. Each Christmas, Tolkien would write a letter from Father Christmas. It would tell about his travels and adventures. Each letter came in a special envelope. Tolkien even designed North Pole stamps and postmarks for them!
Before the book came out, some of Tolkien's drawings were shown at the Ashmolean Museum. These drawings included pictures from The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and The Father Christmas Letters. The first edition of the book was published by Allen and Unwin on September 2, 1976. This was three years after Tolkien died. Another edition was released by Houghton Mifflin later that year.
The Father Christmas Letters was the third book by Tolkien to be published after his death. It was edited by Baillie Tolkien. The book included drawings by Tolkien for almost all the letters. However, some letters and drawings were not included in this first edition.
When the book was published again in 1999, its name was changed to Letters from Father Christmas. This new edition added several letters and drawings that were not in the first book. One special edition in 1995 even had the letters and drawings in separate envelopes. This allowed readers to experience them just like Tolkien's children did.
How the Letters Inspired Other Stories
Some experts believe that the creatures in The Father Christmas Letters might have given Tolkien ideas for his later works. This includes famous books like The Lord of the Rings. For example, a letter from 1933 describes the Polar Bear being attacked by a group of goblins.
Some people think that the wizard Gandalf might have been inspired by Father Christmas himself. These ideas show how Tolkien's early stories for his children could have influenced his amazing fantasy worlds later on.
See also
In Spanish: Las cartas de Papá Noel para niños
