No one in the late night television landscape holds a candle to the goofy, good-natured disposition of Jimmy Fallon. The host has a soft spot for Christmas, and now, he’s announced a permanent contribution to the holiday literature genre! Fallon is the author of a new Christmas book for children.
Kids don’t know Fallon as well as moms and dads. Parents may recall themed antics on the host's show in December, including tunes like “Drunk on Christmas” and his "12 Days of Christmas Sweaters" segment. Indeed, in a recent interview, Fallon confessed, "I'm obsessed with the holiday…I love the music. I love the Lifetime movies. I love the Hallmark movies. That's the perfect holiday for me.” And Fallon is no stranger to crafting kids’ books, with Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada and Everything Is Mama already on the shelves.
Now, EW explains he’s taking his love of Christmas and his propensity to write instant classics and throwing it all into 5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas. And he’s incredibly proud of the new endeavor.
"This is the longest book I've ever written. This is my War and Peace. This is my Goldfinch,” the author joked. The late-night comedian is effusive with his praise for Christmas time; he has loved it ever since he was little. “It's the spirit," he explained. “It's giving. It's all that stuff. I love the coziness of it. I love the sweaters. I love hot cocoa. I love anything that's associated with it."
As the exclusive with EW reveals, the latest Fallon text “follows a young boy and his sister in the week leading up to Christmas, eagerly counting down the days and engaging in all types of holiday activities from listening to Christmas music to decorating the tree to putting out milk and cookies for Santa.” Fallon explained that the idea for his new book came when his daughter asked a question about the titular image. "I never said that in my life. I've never heard of 'How many more sleeps?'” Fallon raved. “I always said, 'How many more days 'til Christmas?' It's so boring. 'Sleeps' is so cute and dreamy and magical."
Perhaps more than anything, Jimmy Fallon hopes that this new holiday kids’ book will add to memories made as a family. "When you read to a kid, it's not just the words. It's stories that you tell," he explained. "You share your memories and get your kids excited about the holiday too. This is a book like any other book, but the detail you use makes you think back to your memories…It sparks your stories." The piece, illustrated by Rich Deas and vividly brought to life in advance of the 2020 holiday season, goes on sale Tuesday, November 3. And for children in need, Fallon is teaming up with his publisher and the nonprofit organization First Book to donate to the “Give A Million” campaign, which will share a million books with low-income kids throughout the world. Fallon has captured the magic of Christmas – and the spirit of giving – just in time for December.