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by Lance Lee (Author), Meilo So (Illustrator)
A year of unusually heavy rains spark a series of events that lead the Animals of Crouch End in North London to decide to celebrate Christmas for the first time. These begin when Rufus Fox hires Marvin Mole & Sons to repair his flooded home. As he wanders Crouch End and sees Christmas decorations begin to appear soon Belinda, a wood pigeon, Hilda Hedgehog, The Magpies, Silas Squirrel and family, Franklin Frog and his family, and the large, fierce, tiger-striped tabby, Goya, who overhear Rufus' bewilderment over Christmas, decide to suspend their usual activities and, led by Rufus, to collaborate on putting together their own Christmas and Christmas Feast in order to understand Christmas. Magic is involved, too, as Rufus has second sight, and is helped by the Fairy, Tinya, who first explains what Christmas is about, and then helps make Rufus' home Marvin Mole & Sons repair large enough for everyone-even though it isn't. But she warns Rufus there is something he must discover on his own that is the real secret of Christmas. Even after all has gone off splendidly Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Rufus is still puzzled, but at the end with Tinya he realizes the secret is not getting, but giving; not having a truce among unlikely animals, but a family relationship, all motivated by love for one another. He decides to become a vegetarian to keep his new 'family' together.
