Books for the Holidays

In 1939 Robert L. May, a copywriter working at Chicago's Montgomery Ward & Co., wrote a holiday story at the request of his employer. Almost two and a half million copies of the little tale about a reindeer with a shiny red nose were given away to all the children who visited Montgomery Ward stores that year. The rest is history. Seventy-five years later, the beloved classic is once again available in a hardcover faithful facsimile of the 1939 Rudolph, with original text and original Denver Gillen illustrations.

Drifting down the bayou the night after Christmas, Boudreau discovers a fat alligator named Pierre, whom he takes home as a pet. The Boudreau children give Pierre their full attention, much to Pierre�s dismay, but in the end, it�s a very happy Cajun night after Christmas all through the year!

The traditional trappings of Christmas at school--the pageant, a visit to a local nursing home, crafts, and the room mothers' party--all end in chaos, but Santa Claus appears to present a solution to all the teachers' Christmas woes.

Father Christmas, with his Irish eyes twinkling, ushers in his seven elves and thus begins this Irish tale.

It's the Christmas Eve shift at Firehouse One. All the firefighters are sitting down to bowls of hot chili when an old fireman stops by for a bite to eat. The firemen have to leave to fight a fire and return to find that he was not an ordinary firefighter-they were visited by Sgt. St. Nick!

This caringly-produced facsimile edition, with charming cover and interior illustrations by Jessie Wilcox Smith, was originally published in 1912.

The beloved and iconic Christmas poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (more commonly known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”) was written in 1823 by Clement C. Moore. The poem was an instant sensation and still, two hundred years later, is synonymous with Christmas and embodies many of the characteristics still associated with Santa Claus today.

things are looking grim for Santa on Christmas Eve as he loses his voice and all his reindeer get sick before the night�s duties are done. He sends his reindeer off to bed and chooses eight cows to pull his sleigh instead. When Santa overlooks the shivering calf, Sugar Lump raises his voice to let Santa know he can pull the sleigh. A hoarse Santa appreciates the calf�s strong voice and invites him into the sleigh to command the cows.

Told with a Texas twang, this tale features a dozen icons of the Lone Star state. Clever rhymes count down the days of Christmas, revealing such surprise gifts as silver spurs, oil wells, and armadillos. Festive illustrations fill the pages of this western romp.

At a ranch near Aspen, Colorado, author Michael Chandler and his four-year-old son are invited to a Christmas Eve party at a neighbor's. The party is not ordinary--this one is for Lefty, an appaloosa stud. At the party are Lefty's owner, Joe, the author and his son, and the famous singer/songwriter John Denver and his young son. Together they share a heartwarming night celebrating music, life, love, and the joy of Christmas.

With a team of Longhorns, Santa arrives at a sod shanty and drops down the chimney to fill the young'uns' boots with toys.

This gorgeous book, filled with classic holiday recipes and information on the traditions and styles that mark Christmas in Savannah, is the perfect handbook to plan a Southern celebration. From casual Tybee to the glamorous Historic District, residents and visitors alike will cherish the enchanting seasonal photographs.

The beautiful homes and classic recipes of the Crescent-City holidays! Tour the stunning sights of the season in this beautiful volume. Decorations, including garlands, mantels, table settings, and Christmas trees, deck the pages. Luminous photographs portray public events such as Celebration in the Oaks and caroling in historic Jackson Square. Bring in the New Year with recipes from traditional reveillon feasts at the city's most famous restaurants. Private and historic homes from Uptown to English Turn open their doors to readers, while residents and designers discuss their holiday embellishments and themes. Glimpse parties, family celebrations, and more. Recipes and details abound in this stunning snapshot of a magical season.

It's Christmas Eve, and this police officer is on patrol. He encounters Sergeant Kringle, who takes over his patrol so the cop can go home to his family. This whimsical illustrated tale for young readers is a tribute to law-enforcement officers everywhere.

Saint Emergency Nick pays the hospital staff a surprise visit on Christmas Eve with helpful elves, new supplies, and even a Christmas tree.

The members of Spring Lane Creek Church are in a panic. Their baby Jesus is sick, the choir hates their newly made Christmas robes, and the overused and underserviced church copy machine is on the blitz. Tears are shed, screams are heard, and just when it seems the congregation might organize a revolt against Pastor McDougall, Santa appears in the pastor's office. He gently points the pastor to the Bible, reminding him of the true miracle of Christmas. When Pastor McDougall emerges, he finds his congregation glowing from the same message delivered to them by Saint Nick.

As a season for family, feasting, gifts, and giving, Christmastime brings with it a host of traditions, beliefs, and stories. With an impressive ensemble of award-winning writers, including Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler, critically acclaimed Olympia Vernon, and Guggenheim Fellow Elizabeth Spencer, the 11 stories in this anthology offer a range of poignant ruminations on the Christmas season. From the touching account of a handyman's enduring gift to a wealthy child to a father's reconciliation with his estranged, troubled daughter and a lonely judge's attempt to open his heart to his neighbors, this collection is a celebration of family, love, and understanding. With maturity and depth, the stories in this anthology evoke strong emotions in a way only the finest literature can. Accompanied by striking watercolor illustrations, these Southern Christmas tales will be sure to captivate generations to come.

With imaginative illustrations and a shortened text, this all new version of
the well-known Christmas story is sure to be a cherished addition to any
Christmas collection. Adapting from Dickens' own condensed version of A
Christmas Carol, James Rice uses his unique style to create a beautiful new
interpretation of the old favorite-a version which will undoubtedly become a
classic in itself.

A colorful retelling of Dickens' original story, A Christmas Carol
reveals James Rice at his best. Old Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and the ghosts of
Christmas Past, Present, and Future are among the clever illustrations that make
this rendition unique and wonderful. James Rice's talent for bringing characters
to life through dynamic, detailed, and lively drawings helps to evoke the true
and meaningful message of Dickens' original story.
Through Rice's retelling, the classic tale is more accessible to youngsters,
and offers them a Christmas treasure to keep for a lifetime. Children of all
ages will delight in this wonderfully illustrated story as they follow Scrooge
through his series of ghostly visitations to his eventual realization that it is
never too late to give the gift of Christmas.

Mr. Rice has written and/or illustrated some twenty-five titles, including
The Night Before Christmas , Cajun Night Before Christmas ,
Prairie Night Before Christmas , Texas Night Before
Christmas , and Hillbilly Night Afore Christmas . He is
widely acclaimed as the South's leading illustrator of juvenile books, with more
than 600,000 copies of his works in print-a figure that ranks him among the
best-selling authors and illustrators in the nation. He travels year-round
throughout the country speaking to schoolchildren and teachers' groups as a
member of the Texas author-in-residence program.

Surrounded by the waters of the Mississippi, the blooming magnolias, and the buzzing mosquitoes, a solitary raccoon made his home in a cypress trunk.

As yet another Christmas approached with no friends to share the holiday season, Roux vowed to make a change. He built a tall bonfire, in the Cajun tradition, in hopes that Papa Noel would see the warm light of the flames on his Christmas Eve flight. 

Roux tucked himself into bed that cold, lonely night with not an inkling that Santa would indeed stop by his swampy abode. The jolly man in red brought gifts for the raccoon who had been nice all year, but gifts, he knew, were not what would bring little Roux cheer. As Santa set off to continue his Christmas Eve rounds, he scoured the bayous and towns for what would make Roux’s holiday complete. Can Santa find the perfect present to save Roux’s Christmas? 

This heartwarming story about the power of hope and the magic of friendship is sure to brighten your holiday reading. Children will enjoy this story of an unlikely friendship set in the southern swamps that references customs and traditions familiar to the littlest Cajuns. A recipe for Roux’s Bayou Stew completes this special tale.