Residents of a great fir tree in a thick forest make their home noticeable in hopes that Santa will come for his first visit to them.

    or can you?Every Christmas season, gingerbread men come alive. The only way to keep them around until Christmas, is through a treasured and tasty secret. If it’s done right, something special is left behind.

    One night she decided to run away from home. Little did she know that she would meet some magical friends from the world of Elfquest -- and that they would show her some magic of her own. Join Elmy and the Wolfrider elves in this tale of self-discovery written for young readers and their parents.

    Medallion Honoree * From the Midwest Book Review: "The Pajama Elves" is a delightful, creatively presented holiday tale that shares a family tradition of giving children magic pajamas secretly tailored by Santa's sewing elves, so they can sleep snug in their beds on Christmas Eve. Hayden Edwards is a special pseudonym for author/illustrator Julie Szabo, combining the names of her two sons and husband. Told in verse narrative and creatively illustrated with combination photos/prints in color, "The Pajama Elves" is all about keeping the magic of Christmas alive for young children. The author describes it as follows: "'The Pajama Elves' allows people to adopt and personalize the tradition in many ways, and it can be shared with family members who live far apart from one another." Sensitively done, "The Pajama Elves" is an ideal contemporary response to unique challenges faced by parents of young children today.

    Illuminated by Star’s rays, Fox forages for food, runs with the rabbits, and dances in the rain—until Star suddenly goes out and life changes, leaving Fox huddling for warmth in the unfamiliar dark. To find his missing Star, Fox must embark on a wondrous journey beyond the world he knows—a journey lit by courage, newfound friends, and just maybe, a star-filled new sky. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement and the art of William Blake, The Fox and the Star is a heartwarming, hopeful tale which comes alive through Bickford-Smith’s beloved illustrations, guiding readers both young and grown to “look up beyond your ears.”

    The leaves from the tall trees that surround her house drift down until the teeny tiny woman’s teeny tiny house is buried completely. Inside it’s dark and a teeny tiny bit scary, but the resourceful woman has a plan and a few surprises up her teeny tiny sleeve.Written to be shared through read-aloud or story-telling, the type face indicates where the teller should be whispering and when suddenly s/he should shout – surprising the listeners, even causing them to jump, which puts this book in the realm of jump-tales, so popular at spooky-story times like Halloween and around the campfire on summer evenings. Short enough for even young children to remember after reading or hearing the story a few times, the book encourages children themselves to tell the tale themselves, making a family tradition.Former Disney Publishing executive, Lauren L. Wohl, tells an all-new story starring a favorite character from folklore with an autumnal chill and a special treat that brings the book to a perfect-for-Halloween ending. Children will want to return to the teeny tiny house again and again to enjoy Henry Cole’s illustrations that capture the mood and the humor of the tale.Sure to be a perennial holiday favorite, like The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything," a book that makes the bestseller list every single Halloween!

    It's spooky. It's a meta picture book that puts a fresh spin on an old joke and elevates chicken comedy to ghastly new levels. A little spring chicken crosses the road but quickly gets flattened under a semitruck. The barnyard beasts who've gone before break the news: now that Chicken's fried--dispatched to the Other Side--Chicken has a job, an unwanted job, as a noisy troublemaking ghost. This fowl may be weak in the beak, but Chicken knows that scaring people isn't nice. There is such a thing as a friendly ghost, after all--isn't there? Loaded with laughs and shivers, this Halloween-ready treat features ghoulishly funny art by the illustrator of the #1 New York Times best-selling Bad Seed series. Let the haunting begin!No chickens were harmed in the making of this book.

    Perfect for baby showers and other special occasions.This gift set includes Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny, illustrated by Clement Hurd. Margaret Wise Brown's beloved bedtime classics have lulled generations of children to sleep with their soothing sounds. Now these classic stories are packaged together into one gift set.These board books feature sturdy pages, just right for babies and toddlers. Together in the decorative box, this makes a thoughtful gift.

    Siena was six—and her dreams kept skipping and leaping, circling and spinning, from airy runs along a beach near her home in Puerto Rico, to dance classes at the School of American Ballet, to her debut performance on stage with the New York City Ballet while working with ballet legend George Balanchine. Part family history, part backstage drama, this beautifully updated graphic memoir—which features a refreshed design and a brand-new scrapbook of Siena’s mementoes—is an original, firsthand look a young dancer’s beginnings.

    Best pals Rocket and Groot have the day off from guarding the galaxy, so they're heading to the Big Apple! Spider-Man is waiting to show them the city—which just so happens to be covered in glittering snow. The three pals swing through the boroughs enjoying famous NYC winter activities, from sledding in Central Park to ice skating at Rockefeller Center.This is one snowy adventure you don't want to miss! Complete your Marvel picture book collection with these best-selling fan favorites:Night Night, GrootFirst Day of Groot!Spider-Man: Far From Home: Spider-Man Swings Through Europe!Captain Marvel: Beware the Flerken!Captain Marvel: What Makes a HeroGrow Up, Ant-Man!Spider-Man, Spider-Man!

    He's a professional ghost who has been transferred to his first house. And just in time! He was getting tired of haunting bus stops and forests and potatoes. And to top it off, this house is occupied by an old lady -- they're the easiest to haunt!But things don't go as planned when it turns out a KID comes with this old lady. Chester spots Simon immediately and peppers him with questions. Simon is exasperated. . . until he realizes he can trick Chester into doing his ghost chores. Spooky sounds, footsteps in the attic, creaks on the stairs -- these things don't happen on their own, you know!After a long night of haunting, it seems that maybe Chester isn't cut out to be a ghost, so Simon decides to help with Chester's human chores. Turns out Simon isn't cut out for human chores either.But maybe they're both cut out to be friends . . .

    For as long as she can remember, Plum has lived at the Mary Fitzgerald Orphanage, wishing and hoping for a family. When a sudden snowfall threatens a delivery of presents on Christmas Eve, Plum is determined to save Christmas—even for the kids who laugh at her. Plum’s pure heart grants her an unexpected reward. When she eats a cake left behind by a mysterious magician, she is transported into the Land of Sweets. But Christmas here is threatened, too—by a sourness that is spreading from the center of the land. Plum’s determined to help, and in doing so, she might just find the family she’s always dreamed of, thanks to a good heart—and Christmas magic!

    As they eat mooncakes, drink tea and watch the night sky together, Mama and Baba tell ancient tales of a magical tree that can never be cut down, the Jade Rabbit who came to live on the moon and one brave woman's journey to eternal life. With a gentle focus on the importance of family, Mooncakes is a perfect book for parent and child to read together, while its educational aspect makes it ideal for school libraries that wish to provide an insight into a unique cultural holiday.

    Starting on December 1st, children can read a chapter a day, and each chapter is followed with a fun and festive holiday activity to complete. This illustrated advent story tells of the adventures of an adorable mouse and how a good deed can lead to a very happy ending.

    But what really terrified those bad men was that peculiar gun of his. It didn't shoot bullets. It shot light. And Larry always aimed for the heart. Can Larry save the town of Brimstone from Evil-Eye McNeevil's outlaw gang? Find out in this rip-roaring original tale of a gunfighter with a huge smile and a hankering for lemonade. TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS -- A READER'S THEATER SCRIPT OF THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE IN AARON'S BOOK -STORIES ON STAGE, - OR FREE ON AARON'S WEB SITE. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of -The Baker's Dozen, - -The Sea King's Daughter, - -The Monkey King, - and many more children's books. His stories have appeared often in Cricket magazine, while his Web site is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater. Once a professional storyteller, Aaron specializes in lively retellings of folktales and other traditional literature, which have won him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. Toni Goffe is the British illustrator of numerous well-loved children's books and is a winner of the 1993 Gold Medallion Book Award. He is also illustrator of Aaron's -The Legend of Slappy Hooper.- ///////////////////////////////////////////////// -One of the books every boy should have on his bookshelf; girls will probably like the story too . . . The language is perfect, [with] the right dose of silliness to make both parents and children chuckle . . . The illustrations are ideal.- -- Cindi Rose, San Francisco Examiner, Aug. 20, 2012 -A tall-tale superhero for our time. . . . A readaloud that could lighten up classes well up in the elementary grades.- -- Kirkus Reviews, Mar. 1, 1993 -Pass out the bandanas and dig out the spittoon. Read this story in an old-timer's voice, and everyone will have a good time.- -- Chris Sherman, American Library Association Booklist, Mar. 1, 1993 -Move over Wyatt Earp. Make room for a cowboy of a different caliber. A wide age range of listeners will request this one again and again.- -- School Library Journal, Nov. 1993 -A rib-tickler. . . . Kids will enjoy acting this out as readers theatre.- -- Jan Lieberman, TNT, Spring 1993 -Lovely. . . . Should reach the tickly bone of youngsters.- -- Storyline, June 1993 -Perfect for telling or reading out loud.- -- Katy Rydell, Stories, Spring 1993 -My class loved this story. Great to use when introducing tall tales.- -- D. Peccianti, Reviews of All Resources (Monterey Peninsula United School District) -Introduces one amazing cowpoke. . . . Will have young listeners laughing out loud and asking you to 'read it again.'- -- Smithsonian, Nov. 1993 -Told in the spirited language of a true yarn-spinner, this is a rollicking picture book to warm the heart of just about everyone.- -- Kids' Line, Summer 1993