Product Description

Bob is expecting the best Christmas present ever. His twin brother Tom, who lives in the Arctic near the North Pole is coming to Brixwood for Christmas. But at the last moment, Tom's travel plans go wrong, and he misses the last boat. Bob thinks his Christmas has been ruined.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #962814 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-21
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

Amazon.co.uk Mums' Committee Review
Fans of Bob the Builder can't help but be excited by the wonderful photographs of their favourite characters on every page. Of the 64 pages, half are large photographs with no text and the facing page also contains a small picture of one of the many characters alongside the text. This particular story introduces us to Bob's twin brother who is trying to visit for Christmas. Alongside this there are several mini plots involving Bob and Spud. Those who are familiar with the smaller Bob the Builder books will know they follow a simple plot from one of the TV episodes. At times the story seems to skip from plot to plot, often feeling rather complicated considering the age range it is marketed for.

Irrespective of the complex story, younger Bob fans will delight at sharing the pictures and finding all their favourite friends. Children who are enjoying a bedtime story will probably enjoy having this story read to them over a few nights. --Adele Webb

It's nearly Christmas and Bob is under pressure: the Christmas tree has smashed through the town hall window, the stage needs building for a rock concert, and Spud--trying to be helpful so that he doesn't miss out on presents from Santa--is creating havoc as usual. At least Bob can look forward to seeing his twin brother, Tom, who is coming from the North Pole. Or can he? Tom stops to rescue a reindeer and misses the boat. Luckily, rock star Lennie comes to the rescue with his private plane, and it ends up a Christmas to remember after all.

The book is based on a 50-minute film, guest starring Sir Elton John, which explains the amazing likeness of songwriter "John" in the story to the aforementioned singer. With bright and richly detailed pictures printed on quality paper, this book won't disappoint Bob's legion of fans. The writing is lively and the plot moves along at a good pace--ideal for holding the attention of the two-plus age group. --Giskin Day

Children's BBC favourite Bob the Builder returns in this richly illustrated book for "A Christmas to remember". Bob is expecting his brother for Christmas, but what with jobs to do, missed boats and celebrations to prepare, no-one knows whether the plans will work out until the very end. Spud gets into scrapes, as usual, and the machines have their role to play as well, although, the main story features the "people" of the programme.

The book is hardback and richly illustrated with beautiful photographs to cheer any Bob-fan's heart, and there isn't too much text on one page. That said, the story is rather long--overlong for my two-year old, who loved the pictures but wasn't patient enough to last until the final page. My five-year old, however, loved every bit of it and thought that Dizzy was "really lucky" to get to see Father Christmas for real! --Susan Wilson

This is the story version of the previously released feature length video. Bob and the team have their work cut out getting ready for a Christmas concert given by Lennie and the Lazers, and on top of this Bob's twin brother Tom is coming all the way from the Arctic to visit. As normal nothing goes to plan, will Bob have the stage ready in time, will Tom make it and will Bob be able to do his appearance as Santa?

This lovely hardback version features lots of stills from the original film. Even without the soundtrack of the film, parents can still spot Noddy Holder and Chris Evans characters. A great festive story appealing to younger children, however, with 64 pages, it's a lot longer than most Bob stories and definitely a bit much for a bedtime read. Having already seen the video version, while the book was enjoyed, my two-year-old preferred the video version where the celebrities did the characters' voices. --Tracy Jackson

Bob the Builder is looking forward to the "best Christmas ever" in this big CBeebies picture book. His brother Tom is coming for Christmas, all the way from the North Pole. But before he arrives, Bob needs to fix up everything the town needs for their Christmas celebrations. Can he finish them all on time? Meanwhile, Tom has packed for his visit, and is on his way... until a sudden reindeer rescue means he misses his boat. How will he get to see Bob now? Every page of the book is filled with colourful pictures of Bob, Wendy, Spud, all the machines, and everyone else from the popular TV programme. It's a real treat for Bob the Builder fans, as they have plenty of chances to shout "Yes We Can!" and all the other familiar phrases they love. Some fun adventures and a few surprises along the way make it an enjoyable read, for kids and parents. It's a perfect choice for bedtime on Christmas Eve, or just the right present for fans of the programme. T! he book is hardcover with a dust jacket and good heavy pages, so it will withstand plenty of reading and re-reading. --Susan Carleton

Customer Reviews

A Feast Of Christmas Fun!
This book is a must for any Bob The Builder fan. It has some excellent pictures which capture and bring to life the spirit of Christmas. The book can get a little tedious because it is very detailed, and would not be suitaable for a child with a very short attention span.
Christmas is on the way, and Bob The Builder is very excited because his twin brother Tom is coming to visit from the Arctic. The only problem is that Bob's Christmas plans don't quite go as hoped, and Tom is unavoidably delayed. The ending to this story is quite predictable though, although this is sometimes good in a childrens story.
I think that the story may be too long for most Bob fans, who are probably only about 3 or 4, but it certainly captures the style of the bob the builder episodes. Overall, if you like Bob the Builder enough, you're sure to enjoy it, but it is maybe not the best introduction for possible new fans.