Elvis loves Christmas. His mum works really hard as a nurse, but always takes him to the biggest toy store in London – Londinium, on Christmas Eve.

This year is special. He has saved up his pocket money all year to buy her a gift, but she has a surprise for him too. She has got him an expensive golden ticket to see Santa in the store. Lining up with the other ticket holders, he is very excited. But others push in, time runs out and things don’t quite go to plan. He finds himself outside the store with his mum, with the doors closed, and questions racing round his mind.

At home the questions are still racing, and he knows he MUST get back into the store as fast as possible to find the answers. He creeps out into the night and into an adventure he could never have dreamed up, no matter how special Christmas Eve is.

Inside the toy store, something criminal is happening. Elvis has found some of the answers he was after, but now is in a fight for his life along with the shop security, and its shop Santa. With only toys to fight back with and no way to escape the store until the morning, the three must work together to defeat three burglars and their enormous bomb.

Not only will it completely wreck the store but everything within a mile of it! Can toy cars, pogo sticks, bath toys and boats possibly help them?

A Christmas caper from a prolific writer of laughter and mayhem – Santa & Son is full of chaos, crazy, and tons of toys. Set in the 1980’s to eliminate modern technology from the mix, this is a good old fashioned mix of Home Alone & Night at the Museum, set in a toy store.

Main character Elvis was named after The King, and his music, song titles and gags are a big part of the story. It’s not all slapstick though, as there is a thread of heartbreak alongside the laughs, and the ending is not predictably tidy and sweet, but does leave hope for the future.

Worth adding to your Christmas book shelf and chocka full of action and great characters, that can be read again next Christmas, and the next.

Author – David Walliams

Illustrator – Adam Stower

Age – 7+

Publisher – Harper Collins

Find more Christmas books here

Find more David Walliams titles here

(2025, Harper Collins, Middle-grade, Humour, Funny, Family, Adventure, Crime, Toys, Christmas Eve, Toy store, Grumpy Elves, Battle, Crime, Explosions, Safe, Burglary, Fake Santa, Friendship, Kindness, Meanies, Bullies, Courage, Slapstick)