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.

“Forget Dancer, Prancer, Comet, and Vixen. . . . Good Clement, wherever he is, will not be gnashing his teeth.” —New York Times Book Review

Take the classic story of jolly old St. Nicholas, place it in a Louisiana bayou setting, dress Santa Claus in muskrat “from his head to his foot,” pile his skiff high with toys, and hitch it to eight friendly alligators. The result is this modern classic. Fifty years after its first appearance, Cajun Night Before Christmas® has sold more than one million copies and has served as the model for Pelican’s ongoing, best-selling Night Before Christmas Series.  The Cajun Night Before Christmas® has been a part of Louisiana’s holiday traditions since it was first published in 1973. A delight to both young and old with its rustic full-color illustrations and lively story, it has become a timeless addition to holiday celebrations far beyond south Louisiana, reaching all corners of the country with its charming presentation of Christmas on the bayou and the break-out star of Gaston® the Green-Nosed Alligator.  

Conceived by J. B. Kling, Jr., Cajun Night Before Christmas® originally appeared as a Christmas message from Bergeron Plymouth Company of New Orleans. Under the pseudonymous byline “Trosclair,” the story won a Clio Award in 1967 from the Academy of Television and Radio Advertising.

Brought to life by the talented James Rice, the humorous illustrations of a colorful bayou Christmas have been nationally recognized as a classic in its genre.  Featuring eight pages of curated content released from the Pelican archives, this slipcased, numbered Fiftieth Anniversary Limited Edition showcases the rich legacy of storytelling within our state and the far reach that a humble (or not so humble!) gator has had on Cajun culture, Louisiana, and the entire country.

Inspired by the spicy humor of Cajun Night Before Christmas® and the authors’ own chaotic holiday experiences, this is the story of St. Nick, an alligator named Pierre, and the Boudreau family’s post-Christmas blues.

Boudreau needs to get away. His children are hollering as they play with their new toys, and his wife has cleaned out their pocketbook after buying Christmas gifts and treats. As he drifts down the bayou on a moonlit night, Boudreau spies Pierre, one of St. Nicholas’ alligators that has been left behind! Boudreau offers Pierre a home to keep him safe from hunters and trappers.

Will St. Nick ever come back for his lost gator? And what will Boudreau’s children think of this new pet? The antics of this cast of characters are sure to induce laughter and add a fun twist to the original story!

This lavishly illustrated volume looks at Christmas in New Orleans from its early days to post-Katrina, in the French Quarter, on Canal Street, and in its houses. It also reminisces about local traditions and lore such as snow, bonfires, foods, literature, music, football, and Twelfth Night.

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.

Accelerated Reader Program Selection

’Round Christmastime, things are a little different on the Emerald Isle. Instead of logs thrown onto the fire, we find turf blazing bright. Instead of cold eggnog spiced just right, the mother and father are enjoying their stout. You’ll find no Donner or Cupid or Blitzen, but Ould Neddy the donkey and his small cart. Father Christmas with his Irish eyes twinkling ushers in his seven elves, to enjoy the poteen and plum pudding and unpack his large sack. And thus begins the wondrous Irish Night Before Christmas.

This humorous tale in the same vein as the famous Cajun Night Before Christmas® is the Irish version of Father Christmas’s yearly visit. Told in delightful brogue, it will have everyone wishing “Nollaig sona agut!” (Merry Christmas to you!).

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

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.

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!

Now reissued in full-color!

Santa Claus was doing all right Christmas Eve until he hit the Southwestern Panhandle country. As soon as he did, a blue norther sweeping across the prairies sent his reindeer fleeing for the comparative warmth of the North Pole.

Santa—Stetsoned, booted, and bundled to his nose—stomped through the blizzard until he came to a small sod shanty and corral. A dim flicker of firelight came through the whistling cracks in the door.

And so opens this Christmas book from the pen of James Rice, now available in full color for the first time. A seasonal treasure for both children and adults, Cowboy Night Before Christmas traces the unlikely teamwork of Santa, two freezing cowboys, and a bunch of longhorn cattle “a mite short on brains” as they struggle to ensure that Christmas does indeed come on schedule.

A new twist on the classic Christmas poem, this book plays off of its Southwestern setting and the drawling dialect characteristic of this part of the country. With richly humorous illustrations by Rice—an artist well known for his delightful drawings—Cowboy Night Before Christmas is a welcome addition to any collection of Christmas tales and legends.

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.

"Yo ho-ho-ho! Michael Lewis's sea-faring Santa tale is surely the best buried treasure you'll ever uncover! The Great Pirate Christmas Battle is so funny you'll shiver your timbers with laughter and clap your hands! Unless you have a hook for a hand. Then you probably shouldn't do that."
—Butch Hartman, voice actor for Family Guy, writer for Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls, and creator of The Fairly OddParents

Take to the high seas with this mordantly witty tale of tinsel and terror. Cap'n McNasty and his rapscallions gleefully plunder children's presents—until Santa Claus and his feisty elves swoop in to put an end to their naughty ways!

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.

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.

Though everybody else has settled down for a long winter's nap, poor Principal Swell has his hands full.

Down in the swamps of Louisiana, Papa Noël has a big problem. He's hit his head and forgotten who he is. How will the good boys and girls of Louisiana get any presents this year? Mama Noël puts the animals to work alongside the elves to finish the toys and pack this bayou Santa's unique sleigh. Working throughout the night, Mama and her krewe travel up and down the state, guided by levee bonfires. Mama's team of animal helpers are rewarded for their hard work with some delicious local treats left out for Santa and his elves. Louisiana children and their parents will love this new holiday story filled with humorous references to what makes this time of year so special in Louisiana.