Every December, parents face the same quiet challenge: how do you keep a child's excitement alive through the long countdown to Christmas without losing the wonder of it? Author Michele King answers that question with a story, a gnome, and a little bit of holiday magic.
King's debut children's picture book, The Gnome in My Home: A Countdown-to-Christmas Book, arrives in 2026 as a rhyming, hand-illustrated adventure designed for young readers and the grown-ups who read aloud to them. The story follows a cheerful little gnome who shows up uninvited yet very much welcomed inside a family home, bringing curiosity, warmth, and seasonal surprises as Christmas draws near.
King wrote and illustrated every page herself, filling the book with colorful pencil-crayon artwork that feels cozy and homemade, the kind of illustrations a child wants to keep looking at. Each spread builds on the last, gently counting down the days to Christmas while the gnome weaves himself deeper into the household routine. The rhyming text flows naturally, making it easy to read aloud and even easier to memorize.
"I wanted to create something families could come back to year after year," says King. "A book that feels like part of the season, not just something you read once and put away."
The book speaks directly to one of the most universal experiences in parenting during the holidays: children who wake up every morning asking, "How many more days?" Rather than answering with a calendar, The Gnome in My Home gives that question a story. The countdown becomes something to anticipate together, page by page.
Recommended for children ages 3 to 8, the book works equally well as a bedtime story, a classroom read-aloud, or a gift tucked inside a holiday stocking. Its square, 8.5" x 8.5" format sits comfortably in small hands, and the full-page illustrations give children plenty to explore on every page.
For parents looking for a Christmas picture book that does more than fill a few minutes before lights out, Michele King's debut offers something lasting: a character to look forward to, a rhythm children can follow, and a story that makes the wait for Christmas feel just a little more magical.
About the Author
Michele King is a children's author and self-taught illustrator whose work combines hand-drawn artistry with heartfelt storytelling. The Gnome in My Home is her debut picture book. King creates all of her illustrations by hand, bringing warmth and originality to each page.
Book Details
Title: The Gnome in My Home: A Countdown-to-Christmas Book
Author & Illustrator: Michele King
Media Contact
Company Name: Spark Leaf Publishing
Contact Person: Michele King
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: https://thegnomeinmyhome.com/
