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Father Christmas #2
Father Christmas Goes on Holiday
Father Christmas visits France, Scotland, and Las Vegas while on his annual vacation.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
2 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
Raymond Briggs
164 books241 followersRaymond Redvers Briggs was an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist, and author who had achieved critical and popular success among adults and children. He was best known for his story "The Snowman", which is shown every Christmas on British television in cartoon form and on the stage as a musical.
His first three major works, Father Christmas, Father Christmas Goes on Holiday (both featuring a curmudgeonly Father Christmas who complains incessantly about the "blooming snow"), and Fungus the Bogeyman, were in the form of comics rather than the typical children's-book format of separate text and illustrations. The Snowman (1978) was entirely wordless, and illustrated with only pencil crayons. The Snowman became Briggs' best-known work when in 1982 it was made into an Oscar nominated animated cartoon, that has been shown every year since on British television.
Briggs continued to work in a similar format, but with more adult content, in Gentleman Jim (1980), a sombre look at the working class trials of Jim and Hilda Bloggs, closely based on his parents. When the Wind Blows (1982) confronted the trusting, optimistic Bloggs couple with the horror of nuclear war, and was praised in the British House of Commons for its timeliness and originality. The topic was inspired after Briggs watched a Panorama documentary on nuclear contingency planning, and the dense format of the page was inspired by a Swiss publisher's miniature version of Father Christmas. This book was turned into a two-handed radio play with Peter Sallis in the male lead role, and subsequently an animated film, featuring John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft. The Tin-Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman (1984) was a scathing denunciation of the Falklands War. However, Briggs continued to produce humour for children, in works such as the Unlucky Wally series and The Bear.
He was recognized as The Children's Author of the Year in 1993 by the British Book Awards. His graphic novel Ethel and Ernest, which portrayed his parents' 41-year marriage, won Best Illustrated Book in the 1999 British Book Awards.
His first three major works, Father Christmas, Father Christmas Goes on Holiday (both featuring a curmudgeonly Father Christmas who complains incessantly about the "blooming snow"), and Fungus the Bogeyman, were in the form of comics rather than the typical children's-book format of separate text and illustrations. The Snowman (1978) was entirely wordless, and illustrated with only pencil crayons. The Snowman became Briggs' best-known work when in 1982 it was made into an Oscar nominated animated cartoon, that has been shown every year since on British television.
Briggs continued to work in a similar format, but with more adult content, in Gentleman Jim (1980), a sombre look at the working class trials of Jim and Hilda Bloggs, closely based on his parents. When the Wind Blows (1982) confronted the trusting, optimistic Bloggs couple with the horror of nuclear war, and was praised in the British House of Commons for its timeliness and originality. The topic was inspired after Briggs watched a Panorama documentary on nuclear contingency planning, and the dense format of the page was inspired by a Swiss publisher's miniature version of Father Christmas. This book was turned into a two-handed radio play with Peter Sallis in the male lead role, and subsequently an animated film, featuring John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft. The Tin-Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman (1984) was a scathing denunciation of the Falklands War. However, Briggs continued to produce humour for children, in works such as the Unlucky Wally series and The Bear.
He was recognized as The Children's Author of the Year in 1993 by the British Book Awards. His graphic novel Ethel and Ernest, which portrayed his parents' 41-year marriage, won Best Illustrated Book in the 1999 British Book Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 7, 2020
Nostalgia...after all these years I found the book again and love it.
It really is a book for all, kids and adults.
Just my fav illustrations and humor! Perfect xmas present!
It really is a book for all, kids and adults.
Just my fav illustrations and humor! Perfect xmas present!
January 9, 2016
We get to follow around a fallible Santa Claus smoke, gamble in Vegas, get shitty at a Scottish pub, forget to tip, and be stereotypically German in foreign countries. I love that this is considered a children's book in Germany and it's now become my favorite picture book.
January 4, 2025
Christmas is over and he's only your average grumpy old British guy, mostly.
November 28, 2023
"Ein kräftiges Frühstück wird meinen Magen beruhigen."
December 16, 2010
It's summertime and Santa needs a vacation.
To save money, he converts his sleigh into a camper (pulled by reindeer) and heads for France, then Scotland and finally, Las Vegas.
While I liked Mr. Briggs's previous book, "Father Christmas" a tad better, this is still a worthy and very entertaining follow-up.
The best part was father Christmas's time in France and his trying to adapt to French culture. I was wishing that my former French teacher, Madame Sweeney, were alive so I could show it to her. She would have found it hilarious!
To save money, he converts his sleigh into a camper (pulled by reindeer) and heads for France, then Scotland and finally, Las Vegas.
While I liked Mr. Briggs's previous book, "Father Christmas" a tad better, this is still a worthy and very entertaining follow-up.
The best part was father Christmas's time in France and his trying to adapt to French culture. I was wishing that my former French teacher, Madame Sweeney, were alive so I could show it to her. She would have found it hilarious!
December 26, 2020
In dieser lustigen Comic-Geschichte wird über die schönste Zeit im Jahr erzählt - die Ferienzeit.
Auch der liebenswerte und fleißige Weihnachtsmann wünscht sich schon seit langem einen ausgiebigen und erholsamen Urlaub.
Viele Länder stehen zur Auswahl - für welches er sich entscheidet und ob es auch wirklich zur gewünschten Erholung kommt, erfahrt ihr in " Was macht der Weihnachtsmann im Juli ?"
Auch der liebenswerte und fleißige Weihnachtsmann wünscht sich schon seit langem einen ausgiebigen und erholsamen Urlaub.
Viele Länder stehen zur Auswahl - für welches er sich entscheidet und ob es auch wirklich zur gewünschten Erholung kommt, erfahrt ihr in " Was macht der Weihnachtsmann im Juli ?"
April 14, 2020
Britse humor ten top met geweldige tekeningen. Misschien wat minder gekend in de lage landen, maar een held over het water.
Wanneer je wilt dat je kinderen een gevoel van droge humor ontwikkelen, dit lijkt me een start.
Wanneer je wilt dat je kinderen een gevoel van droge humor ontwikkelen, dit lijkt me een start.
November 24, 2023
Maybe it was the bird-watching, but I kept picturing Father Christmas as Jeremy Clarkson... I've seen all the international TopGear specials, and... XD
This is really only for British readers.
I can't stress enough that a Canadian view of Santa (who lives in the North Pole, which everyone knows IS IN CANADA!!!) wouldn't be going to France and complaining about a lack of HP sauce and chips, or continental breakfasts. And he probably wouldn't find Las Vegas to be his ideal vacation spot, either (again, Clarkson vibes...).
It's cute as an adult reading it, but there are very few Santa-based gags and many, many, many general "grumpy old British dude" jokes that just don't seem to fit with an international view of Santa.
I did enjoy his attempts to speak French, however. (Small audience a bit surprised that international, travels-to-children-all-around-the-world Santa only spoke English... I mean, if toddlers are pointing that out, it's a bit of a design flaw). Again, if you are from the UK, you might not notice this and then it would be all cute and all funny. Otherwise, it's like the Swiss Papa Moll grün: 60 lustige Geschichten und Abenteuer or Globis Weltreise, where you see the world through the eyes of your own countryman...
This is really only for British readers.
I can't stress enough that a Canadian view of Santa (who lives in the North Pole, which everyone knows IS IN CANADA!!!) wouldn't be going to France and complaining about a lack of HP sauce and chips, or continental breakfasts. And he probably wouldn't find Las Vegas to be his ideal vacation spot, either (again, Clarkson vibes...).
It's cute as an adult reading it, but there are very few Santa-based gags and many, many, many general "grumpy old British dude" jokes that just don't seem to fit with an international view of Santa.
I did enjoy his attempts to speak French, however. (Small audience a bit surprised that international, travels-to-children-all-around-the-world Santa only spoke English... I mean, if toddlers are pointing that out, it's a bit of a design flaw). Again, if you are from the UK, you might not notice this and then it would be all cute and all funny. Otherwise, it's like the Swiss Papa Moll grün: 60 lustige Geschichten und Abenteuer or Globis Weltreise, where you see the world through the eyes of your own countryman...
January 15, 2022
Father Christmas AND Father Christmas Goes On Holiday - Raymond Briggs
This are picture books - sorry I mean 'graphic novels - but still great. Brigg's drawings always shine, but it's his Britishness with dialogue that I always love. It feels so homely. When The Wind Blows, and Ethel and Ernest (the biographical ones about his parents) - are littered with the "Cor! Look at that, ducks" kind of language I associate with my gran, when I was a child. Father Christmas has this too - with a very British Santa who listens to Gardeners Question Time. There's something lovely about him hating the cold as his one day of work per year - plus him also getting rubbish presents from relatives. Everyone should read it, once a year.
This are picture books - sorry I mean 'graphic novels - but still great. Brigg's drawings always shine, but it's his Britishness with dialogue that I always love. It feels so homely. When The Wind Blows, and Ethel and Ernest (the biographical ones about his parents) - are littered with the "Cor! Look at that, ducks" kind of language I associate with my gran, when I was a child. Father Christmas has this too - with a very British Santa who listens to Gardeners Question Time. There's something lovely about him hating the cold as his one day of work per year - plus him also getting rubbish presents from relatives. Everyone should read it, once a year.
December 21, 2021
This is a wonderful follow-up to the Father Christmas book. After working so hard on Christmas Eve, Father Christmas is ready for a well-earned holiday. He converts his sleigh into a camper van then sets off with his deer on holiday. But in each country he visits, he is soon spotted and has to move on. After spending time and enjoying too much food in France, Scotland and Las Vegas, it is soon time to head home.
Young children will love the grumpy Father Christmas. The illustrations and comic book style bubbles make this book easy to enjoy for even young readers.
Young children will love the grumpy Father Christmas. The illustrations and comic book style bubbles make this book easy to enjoy for even young readers.
May 9, 2021
A tiny bit better than the first book of Father Christmas, but not enough to earn more than one star. He complains slightly less than the first book, but the stereotypes are awful, the language is repetitive and unpleasant, and the character of Father Christmas is not one I would like to share with my kids. I am glad we borrowed it from the library, but I wish we had not done even that!
January 9, 2018
Cute. You can see why they combined the two father Christmas books into one for the cartoon though.
Still, I enjoyed it
Still, I enjoyed it
December 26, 2018
Not that keen on this. Don't like grumpy father Christmas. 2yo seemed to enjoy it.
April 3, 2019
Santa visits France, Scotland, and Las Vegas. Pretty consumeristic. 2.5 stars.
December 10, 2019
Adorable <3
January 24, 2021
Less a children's book, this is a comic strip type story about Father Christmas trying to get a holiday where he won't be recognized. That's not an easy thing for him to do!
Nicely illustrated.
Nicely illustrated.
June 13, 2021
Read this in Japanese, but there’s no Japanese version of the title on Goodreads.
December 29, 2021
I liked it
January 22, 2022
Highly enjoyable graphic novel-like story of Santa Claus going on holiday. Read this with my 9 year old, who lovingly called him “grumpy Santa Claus” - ha!
September 5, 2022
Truly one of the great underappreciated works of literature in the English canon.
December 21, 2023
A kids classic and a great follow up
December 23, 2024
No blooming Daddys Favourite Sauce for the pommes sautèes! Shocking!
December 29, 2015
Once again Briggs weaves a strange little tale, this time in the guise of a curmudgeonly Santa who is trying to find the perfect summer vacation locale. This satirical account of Santa visits France, Scotland, and LasVegas, spending large amounts of money in order to protect his identity. Unfortunately his secret is discovered time and again, and ultimately after experiencing digestive problems from the over-rich foods of France, the cold and damp of Scotland, and finally the heat and expense of LasVegas, he is forced to return home only to discover that he is happiest at home. A nice tidy, albeit overdone theme IMO.
It was the amusing and simple artistry that saved this for me (what would have been a 3 star became a 4). Briggs always seems to offset his dreary characters and story lines with his delightful illustrations that add both humour and humanity; something that would otherwise be completely lost in the simple telling of the tale.
This is definitely not my favourite Briggs tale, but it'll do.
March 2, 2009
A sequel to the Kate Greenaway Award winning Father Christmas, which I have yet to read. I think the key to the success of Father Christmas the innovative behind-the-scenes look at what is a pretty ordinary man.
The behind-the-scenes view has now been done to death (The Santa Clause anyone?). This sequel is thus reliant on a great plot and/or fantastic illustrations. Well the plot is formulaic and predictable (as is so prevalent in sequels), the illustrations are acceptable - but not amazing. Thus a disappointed 2 stars from me.
The behind-the-scenes view has now been done to death (The Santa Clause anyone?). This sequel is thus reliant on a great plot and/or fantastic illustrations. Well the plot is formulaic and predictable (as is so prevalent in sequels), the illustrations are acceptable - but not amazing. Thus a disappointed 2 stars from me.
December 27, 2015
Blooming Boxing Day here again! I decided to revisit this quintessentially English Christmas comic, which was a holiday favorite for my sister and I as children. It will still as amusing as we remember, and I write a little about it and other nostalgic holiday reads at me BookLikes blog, Reading Rainstorm, here.
December 28, 2011
The perfect wrap to the holiday season is to take out my Raymond Briggs' tales of Father Christmas. Pithy dialogue and amazing art combine in these absurdly logical looks at the man who works hard to make sure everyone gets their Christmas presents and enjoys a nice cuppa when the task is done. Blooming marvelous!
October 24, 2016
I think I almost liked this more than the first. A somewhat surreal tale of Father Christmas in his downtime as he acts like a true Englishman abroad. The scenes in France cracked me up while the illustrations and sparse text create a rich environment. Weird, funny, grumpy and charming all at the same time.
April 12, 2012
Christmas is over, and curmudgeonly Father Christmas can finally relax...well, he keeps getting disturbed on the beach. But like the original Father Christmas, it is full of whimsical drawings and ironies.
November 11, 2008
A summer Father Christmas story-
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews