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Cemetary Dance Publications
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Topic starter
I'm trying to get through some of the books that have been sitting unread on my shelves since the Shocklines days, of which there are still quite a few. This one has been waiting to be read since 2000...Back in the day, I was a new convert to the small press, and I literally spent hours searching through Shocklines for new treasures. So, about as far removed from the holidays as you can get, it was finally time to crack open THE CHRISTMAS THINGY!
This is a cute little story, meant to be read aloud to children around the holidays, about a young American girl named Jessica, a recent transplant new to England. Jessica wears a leg brace to help her walk, and feels isolated and friendless in her new home. Jessica's wish for a friend is granted in the form of The Christmas Thingy, a strange creature who has a history of stealing the Christmas presents of his young friends...
Wilson and Clark do a great job with this all-ages book, especially Clark, whose beautiful painted art was all the rage in the small press back in the day. The ending was a surprise to this jaded old man, and it brought a smile to my face.
Posted : April 28, 2026 3:37 pm
I never did buy or read this one, but I did pick up Richard Matheson's ABU AND THE SEVEN MARVELS and Richard Laymon's THE HALLOWEEN MOUSE, which I think both came out around the same time...seems like it was a "thing" to do there for a while, to contribute something to the Children's Books category. David Morrell did one as well, THE HUNDRED-YEAR CHRISTMAS (which I haven't read). I don't believe I have either the Matheson or the Laymon anymore, but it was kinda neat to see the genre and collector's market stretch a bit, for a little while, into something different.
Posted : April 28, 2026 4:35 pm
dannyboy121070 reacted
Topic starter
I think I bought this and THE HALLOWEEN MOUSE in the same Shocklines order, lol.
Posted : April 28, 2026 9:08 pm
I absolutely love The Christmas Thingy and The Halloween Mouse. Used to read them to a niece and nephew that I helped raise. The Niece, now in her late 20's now reads them to her nieces and nephews.
Posted : April 29, 2026 3:41 am
TacomaDiver and dannyboy121070 reacted
Topic starter
I absolutely love The Christmas Thingy and The Halloween Mouse. Used to read them to a niece and nephew that I helped raise. The Niece, now in her late 20's now reads them to her nieces and nephews.
Wow, that's beautiful, man! My kids had zero interest in them, lol.
Posted : April 29, 2026 12:16 pm
They enjoyed The Halloween Mouse but they absolutely loved The Christmas Thingy and still do.I absolutely love The Christmas Thingy and The Halloween Mouse. Used to read them to a niece and nephew that I helped raise. The Niece, now in her late 20's now reads them to her nieces and nephews.
Wow, that's beautiful, man! My kids had zero interest in them, lol.
Posted : April 29, 2026 10:26 pm
dannyboy121070 reacted
Todd Lockwood's The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Holiday Fantasy takes the classic Christmas song and pairs it with his wonderful and whimsical illustrations. A great book to read with the kids!
For a much darker tale about a child and Christmas, I can recommend the story NICE in Nat Cassidy's I KNOW A PLACE: REST STOP AND OTHER DARK DETOURS collection, but I wouldn't suggest it for the kids 😊. Here's what I wrote about it in my review of the collection on my blog at PagesFromTheMist.com:
Nobody takes Santa Claus more seriously than a 6 year-old, and in NICE we learn the lengths to which a young boy will go to help ease the burden of the overworked Elves at Santa's workshop. Who knew being naughty could be so nice?
Posted : May 31, 2026 9:55 pm
Topic starter
Todd Lockwood's The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Holiday Fantasy takes the classic Christmas song and pairs it with his wonderful and whimsical illustrations. A great book to read with the kids!
For a much darker tale about a child and Christmas, I can recommend the story NICE in Nat Cassidy's I KNOW A PLACE: REST STOP AND OTHER DARK DETOURS collection, but I wouldn't suggest it for the kids 😊. Here's what I wrote about it in my review of the collection on my blog at PagesFromTheMist.com:
Nobody takes Santa Claus more seriously than a 6 year-old, and in NICE we learn the lengths to which a young boy will go to help ease the burden of the overworked Elves at Santa's workshop. Who knew being naughty could be so nice?
I just read I KNOW A PLACE recently, and I got a real kick out of that story, lol.
Posted : June 1, 2026 2:20 am
rmquist reacted