'Twas the Nightcap Before Christmas
Dad suggests a sherry 'To keep us both going',
in the cosy front room with the firelight glowing ...
Then out comes the Baileys. And mum hits the rum. Hours of merriment and a stocking-clad tango later, they drift off to sleep - the living room in disarray, the presents unwrapped and their careful Christmas preparations in ruins. But come morning it seems a mysterious visitor has saved the day .
This tipsy twist on the nation's favourite festive poem is the perfect gift for harassed parents everywhere.
Katie Blackburn lives in London with her husband and young child. She is the author of Where the Wild Mums Are, Where the Wild Dads Went and Dozy Bear and the Secret of Sleep.
Sholto Walker trained and graduated as a painter in 1988 and since 1995 he has worked professionally as a full-time artist and illustrator.