There are two traditions that are rapidly becoming as good markers to the start of the festive season as an advent calendar: John Lewis releasing its Christmas ad and children’s authors accusing the retailer of ripping their books off.
Five years ago, readers spotted similarities between Oliver Jeffers’ Lost and Found, about a boy and a penguin, and John Lewis’s ad about a boy and his penguin. Last year, it was the turn of former children’s laureate Chris Riddell, who noticed similarities between John Lewis’s blue furry monster that hid under the bed, and his own creation, the blue furry Mr Underbed. “The idea of a monster under the bed is by no means new but the ad does seem to bear a close resemblance to my creation – a big blue unthreatening monster who rocks the bed and snores loudly,” said Riddell at the time; Mr Underbed went on to sell out.
This year, more than one children’s writer is feeling aggrieved about John Lewis’s new ad, Excitable Edgar, in which a small dragon keeps spoiling festivities for a village – burning down the tree, melting a snowman – until a girl finds him a job to do (lighting the Christmas pudding). Author Jen Campbell wrote on Twitter: “If you enjoyed this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert, then you’ll love our book Franklin’s Flying Bookshop, all about a dragon called Franklin (who the locals are scared of) & his best friend, a red-haired girl called Luna. Y’know. Just saying.”
She later told the Sunday Times that she was “quite surprised watching it … because of the similarities”.
A second author, Danielle Smurthwaite, has also come forward to the Mail to complain about the similarities in the ad to her picture book Popcorn the Unicorn (“because it is also about a mythical creature who unwittingly alienated others by their behaviour before managing to control it”). Meanwhile, a third, Fay Evans, has tweeted about the “striking resemblance” between her self-published book, Fred the Fire-Sneezing Dragon, and Edgar.
Every time similarities have been spotted by both authors and readers, John Lewis has been forced to deny the claims. With regards to Jeffers, a spokesperson said at the time that “stories about penguins at Christmas time are not new”; for Riddell, the spokesperson pointed out that “the story of a big hairy monster under the bed which keeps a child from sleeping is a universal tale which has been told many times over many years”. As for Edgar? “There are lots and lots of stories about dragons but Edgar is an original character developed by our creative agency, as is our story.”
What’s next? A snowman lies melted in the garden as a child runs out, keen to resume their adventures? “Stories about snowmen at Christmas are not new.” A stick man far from home is returned in time for Christmas by none other than Santa. “Stories about living sticks are universal tales.” A green monster’s heart grows three sizes after he learns the true meaning of Christmas. “There are lots and lots of stories about Grinches …”
