It's Hanukkah! It's a time to celebrate family and enjoy festive traditions. As Rachel and her parents prepare the house, grandparents, cousins, and friends travel from near and far to sing and tell stories. Together, they will light candles, play games, and eat scrumptuous holiday foods... and, of course, dance the Hanukkah Hop. The stamping, the hopping, and the bim-bim-bopping is sure to go on all night! Erica Silverman's lively, rollicking text is sure to inspire every member of the family in celebrating the Festival of Lights!

    The forest animals are worried, but when Santa tells them the story of the very first Christmas, when Christ was born, the animals discover the true spirit of the season.

    When the sun drops low in the sky, they start home. Buildings grow dimmer. People are rushing. As nature's lights go out, one by one, city's lights turn on, revealing brilliant Hanukkah, Kwanza, and Christmas displays in streets, homes, and stores. A stunning picture book that's sure to be a winter holiday classic by Caldecott Medalist Uri Shulevitz.

    Wintercake is a great pick for story times during the winter season.When Thomas misplaces the basket of dried fruit he needs to make his seasonal wintercake, friends old and new come together to save the day. Newbery Medalist and acclaimed picture book creator Lynne Rae Perkins weaves a delightful holiday tale full of surprises and gentle humor.Wintercake is a book about holiday traditions and why they matter. It’s also a story about making mistakes and how mistakes can sometimes lead to wonderful things.With colorful and detailed paintings depicting the winter forest and its animal inhabitants, this seasonal title is perfect for classroom and family sharing all year round.

    But the children laughed and danced, and caught the lacy snowflakes on their tongues. All the wonder and delight a child feels in a snowfall is caught in the pages of this book -- the frost ferns on the window sill, the snow man in the yard and the mystery and magic of a new white world. Roger Duvoisin's pictures in soft blue half-tones with briliant splashes of yellow and red emphasize the gaiety and humor as well as the poetic quality of the text.

    But when the baby gave her first cry, thewind shushed to a whisper and the stars began to sing.Brigid's Cloak retells an ancient tale about one of Ireland's most beloved saints. On the day she is born Brigid receives a brilliant blue cloak from a mysterious Druid. Years later, the young girl still wears the now tattered but beloved cloak while she tends her sheep. Is it her imagination that suddenly takes her to an unfamiliar land? Or is it something far greater that leads Brigid to a crowded inn in a town called Bethlehem?Bryce Milligan's eloquently told story about Brigid is a moving tale of compassion and wonder. Beautifully illustrated by Helen Cann, Brigid's Cloak sparkles with the timelessness of legend and the transcending power of faith.

    He scoffs at the beautifully sculpted creations of the old chandler and instead purchases a simple, inexpensive Christmas candle that the chandler warns him he may find costly. The young man soon realizes that the old man meant, as the poor and ill he encounters on his journey, illuminated by his Christmas candle, become the faces of his relatives, so he feels compelled to help them. He arrives home cold and penniless, but richer for his newfound realization that we are all part of one family. This beautifully illustrated original fable by the acclaimed author of The Christmas Box will become a treasured part of many families' Christmases for years to come.

    Mrs. Goldman always knits hats for everyone in the neighborhood, and Sophia, who thinks knitting is too hard, helps by making the pom-poms. But now winter is here, and Mrs. Goldman herself doesn’t have a hat—she’s too busy making hats for everyone else! It’s up to Sophia to buckle down and knit a hat for Mrs. Goldman. But try as Sophia might, the hat turns out lumpy, the stitches aren’t even, and there are holes where there shouldn’t be holes. Sophia is devastated until she gets an idea that will make Mrs. Goldman’s hat the most wonderful of all. Readers both young and old will relate to Sophia’s frustrations, as well as her delight in making something special for someone she loves.A knitting pattern is included in the back of the book.

    The word kwanzaa comes from the African language Swahili, and means "first fruits of the harvest."Since ancient times, in countries all over Africa, families have joined together to celebrate the end of the harvest and the beginning of the new planting season. Today in the United States, families and friends gather together to commemorate the strength of family ties, respect for ancestors, commitment to the growth of the community, and gratitude for life's good. For each day of Kwanzaa, a new candle is lit in the seven-branched kinara, or candleholder. Gathering around it, children and adults share their thoughts, sing songs, tell stories from the past, and dream about the future. On the last day, with seven flames dancing, everyone gathers for a delicious feast of international foods. Then the party begins!

    The Polar Express is a treasured holiday tradition. This lavish gift set includes a CD audio recording read by Liam Neeson, a keepsake "All Aboard" ornament, and a note from author Chris Van Allsburg.Awarded the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1986, The Polar Express has sold more than 7 million copies, become a classic holiday movie, and been translated into stage productions that take place across the United States during the holiday season.

    Papa doesn't have the heart to make them homeless, and though he returns home enpty-handed, he does have a brilliant idea! Join in the holiday revelry as the Bears brighten their forest home with lots of bangles, bells, and colorful balls. This delightful reissue, which sold over 180,000 copies, will now have a stunning new cover to charm a whole new generation of Bear lovers.

    You know that Santa can fly a sleigh, squeeze down chimneys, and circle the globe in a night. But did you know that another of his talents is writing haiku? These twenty-five short poems—composed by Santa himself—give you a peek into life at the North Pole as the December days tick down to Christmas. See the hustle and bustle of the elves' workshop, feel the serenity of moonlight on fresh snow, and find out how Santa and Mrs. Claus keep busy as Santa's big night draws near.

    This is the charming story of a beautiful girl who is whisked away to the Land of Sweets to dance beside colorful fairies and blooming flowers. The Nutcracker is a timeless story for children of all ages.

    Bell all alone at Christmastime, she decides to bring him some holiday cheer. Cousin Henry doesn't want to help—until he finds that there's a real Santa Claus living in their town! With festive sparkly foil on the jacket and a heartwarming story, this book is perfect for holiday giving.

    Year after year, Wilma and Parker nurture their trees, keeping careful count of how many they plant, how many perish, and how many grow to become Christmas trees.          This companion to the award-winning Pumpkins: A Story for a Field is a lyrical, behind-the-scenes look at the intricate lives of Christmas trees.          Includes an author’s note about the history and cultivation of Christmas trees.