Description

Dar is a black cat who lives in a bookshop. He wonders what makes the best gift at Christmas. Is it a wreath, gingerbread, or something you cannot touch? His search looks at kindness and what each person can give. It shows how friends can work as a team to solve problems. It asks how rivals can learn to care for each other.

This Christmas tale has pictures and is for children. It is Cristina Andone’s sixth Dar motan book. Dar is a lucky cat with fine tastes. He explores the world with other cats and Toto. Toto is both his owner and his friend. Their world has bookshops, sweet shops, and books. Short bits of verse give the tale a musical beat. Bright pictures bring humour and a sense of play.

The tale links giving to the things we do well. It helps start talks about each child’s strengths. Linked tasks include trips to bookshops. Children can also make Christmas decorations based on the pictures.

Andone writes and teaches people how to use their own ideas. She also works to change how schools teach. She leads the Ce Poti Face foundation. She has served on the Scoala Increderii board since 2020. Some of her stories bring children into the world of classical music. She has led story workshops in schools, libraries, and bookshops. She has held them in less usual places, too, from trams to castles.