A Happy Cappy Christmas Elaine Bickell

 

A Happy Cappy Christmas                                           
Elaine Bickell
Ill. Minky Stapleton
Scholastic (2026)
Picture book
24 pages, Paperback:
ISBN 978 1 77543 997 4
24 pages, Hardback:
ISBN 978 1 75990 005 6

 

This may be the world’s first picture book to feature capybaras. A Happy Cappy Christmas is the tale of a herd of six capybaras and how they cope with pre-Christmas expectations, told in rhyming couplets by Elaine Bickell. In researching the collective noun for capybaras, I found a biology analysis which seemed to sum up this story: “Capybaras are a highly social species, rarely seen alone, and exhibit complex group behaviours central to their survival.” – BiologyInsights.com.

 The Cappys are a family of six capybara siblings, although only one has a name at first: Bossy. She’s the one wearing a halo. Bossy by name, bossy by nature, she is warning her five younger siblings:

“But you’ve all been very NAUGHTY. Santa watches what you do.
So you’ll all be on his NAUGHTY LIST -  every one of you!”

 Their potential Naughty List entries certainly seem daunting:

“A little bit of pushing. A cappy in the lake.
A teddy being taken. A stolen slice of cake.”

They’ve even left a copy of Keith Goes Glam under the table!

 Bossy suggests her frisky siblings can redeem themselves by putting up the Christmas decorations.

Although they say, “we’ll prove how good we are,” the Cappys are soon busy with yuletide mischief, wrapping their heads in tinsel and hanging tree decorations from their ears.

Full of remorse, the five beg for a second chance. Bossy says they can help her make the Christmas pudding but, alas, they have scoffed all the ingredients. Worse, they have also been at the advent calendar:

“All the doors are open! All the chocolate’s gone!”

 Infuriated with the behaviour of her repeat-offender siblings, Bossy is disappointed to find that there are presents under the tree for them. “A gift for every Cappy! How can this be true?”  

[At this point sharp-eyed readers will spot the labels and find that the five’s names are Tardy, Hairy, Itchy, Hungry and Baby. I blame the parents.]

 The events which follow Bossy’s discovery of Santa’s magnanimous behaviour are ironic, funny, and eventually prove that fair shares and forgiveness apply to every capybara, even if her name is Bossy.

 Minky Stapleton’s colour illustrations are marvellous, especially the texture of the herd’s fur and whiskers.  The capybaras emerge as mischievous individuals of a type familiar to every parent. The result is a gentle family fable for Christmas.

 Trevor Agnew
28 Oct  2026  [Review 3881]