Xoli and the Christmas Father Author: Frans Claerhout (Written and illustrated by the artist)

Xoli and the Christmas Father (Premium Collectible Fine Art Children's Book)

A Luminously Illustrated and Deeply Heartwarming South African Festive Classic

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Xoli and the Christmas Father
• Author: Frans Claerhout (Written and illustrated by the artist)
• Publisher: Academica, Pretoria / Cape Town
• Publication Date: 1989
• ISBN-10: 0947461450
• ISBN-13: 9780947461455
• Edition Details: First Edition, Standard Graphic Release.
• Binding: Original publisher's premium illustrated hardcovers (issued without dust jacket).
• Physical Format: Landscape Quarto (4to format variant), 32 pages. Richly enhanced with full-page color prints of Claerhout's distinctive expressionist oil paintings.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Overall Very Good (VG)
• Exterior / Covers: The original glossy pictorial boards are flat, square, and structurally robust. The corners show only the faintest micro-storage friction, and the spine remains perfectly intact.
• Interior: Impeccably preserved. The heavy text pages are bright, crisp, and completely free of children's crayon markings, ownership ink scribbles, highlight lines, or torn margins.
• Provenance: Outstanding private estate stock, showcasing excellent long-term archival care.
• The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued / Pictorial Boards)

Synopsis & Historical Value

Published in 1989 by Academica, Xoli and the Christmas Father is a beautiful and highly unique masterpiece of South African festive literature. Entirely conceptualized, written, and illustrated by the iconic expressionist painter Father Frans Claerhout, the story follows a young South African boy named Xoli and his poetic encounter with Father Christmas. More than a simple children's story, this book serves as a canvas for Claerhout’s world-famous artistic style—featuring bold lines, warm earthen tones, and deeply spiritual, human themes. This scarce used collectible book is heavily sought after by South African art investors and children's literature collectors.

Author Profile: Frans Claerhout

Father Frans Claerhout (1919–2006) was a Belgian-born Catholic priest who emigrated to South Africa in 1946, spending decades ministering in the Free State, notably around Tweespruit and Thaba Nchu. Entirely self-taught as a painter, his warm expressionist style capturing rural lives, donkeys, and madonnas earned him absolute legendary status in the South African art market. Today, his works reside in major national galleries and elite international collections.

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