The title is misleading—this slim picture book would be more accurately described as a very simplistic encyclopedia. The information is arranged by topic area including decorations, gifts, food and activities associated with Christmas, primarily during the Victorian era. The topics are introduced with 2-3 sentence paragraphs which offer a cursory explanation. The major focus, however, is on the elaborate illustrations which occupy more than half of every page. Most are colored drawings with a few photographs scattered throughout. Some pictures illustrate a particular term such as “mummer” or “cornucopia,”.