As in Holly Hobbie's earlier Toot and Puddle, Toot has the travel bug while Puddle contentedly tends the home fires. In his postcard from Scotland, Toot promises to be home for Christmas. But ice storms and delayed flights threaten to spoil the holiday plans... until an unexpected fellow traveler saves the day. Hobbie's marvelous illustrations are filled with telling details and subtle wit: Toot caroling his heart out in an Edinburgh blizzard with a few sheep buddies; Puddle curled up in an armchair with crayons and holiday cards (signed with a blank space before "and Puddle," in anticipation of Toot's signature). The devotion the pigs share for each other is sweet, never sickly, and young readers with best friends will know exactly how they feel, being apart at a most important time. Several more Toot and Puddle titles will also enchant, including A Present for Toot and You Are My Sunshine. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter

    The Christmas Crocodile doesn't mean to be bad, not really, but soon he is eating everything in the house, even the Christmas tree! "Send the beast to Africa," huffs Uncle Theodore. Aunt Figgy thinks he should be put in an orphanage. "Maybe the zoo?" suggests Father. But Alice Jayne wants to give him a home. Will their Christmas survive if she doesReaders' appetites for humor will be well satisfied by this rollicking holiday treat.

     "Who invented Christmas?" Mama's answer only leads to more questions like "Is God more important than Santa?" So she and Little Cub head off on a polar expedition to find God and to see how he gave them Christmas. Along the way, they find signs that God is at work all around them. Through Mama's gentle guidance, Little Cub learns about the very first Christmas and discovers that... Jesus is the best present of all. This enchanting tale provides the perfect opportunity to help young children celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and to discover how very much God loves them.

    Peanut is going over the river and through the woods to his grandmother's house for Christmas, but getting there is a food-filled adventure for this little nut! First he gets stuck in a traffic jam (make that a traffic jelly), then the bridge is closed so he has to take a (gravy) boat across the river, where he gets lost in a forest of (cookies shaped like) Christmas trees! But while the delays dismay his friends and family, Peanut embraces his role as the Merry Christmas Nut to cheer them up.In this heart-warming and humorous Christmas tale based on the real-life adventures of one peanut -- including ice-skating on popsicles and making snow angels in powdered-sugar snow -- our food friends know that the true meaning of Christmas is joining with our loved ones to celebrate the joy of being together.From the creator of Peanut Butter & Cupcake, tihs book is perfect for every family who wants to giggle together this holiday season.Praise for Terry Border's picture books: Milk Goes to School"A quirky read-aloud with offbeat humor and fun images that young readers will appreciate. A good choice to address the challenges of making new friends at school."--School Library Journal Happy Birthday, Cupcake! "As in his earlier picture book, Border's characters are skillfully crafted food items with basic wire limbs arranged in simple landscapes....Preschoolers will be delighted with the visual mayhem."--Kirkus Reviews Peanut Butter & Cupcake "Border's witty food comedy will lure children who are hungry for clever visual entertainment."--Publishers Weekly"[Z]any creative photographs. [A] read-aloud hit."--School Library Journal

    First he knocks the Christmas tree over, then he shreds the presents, and finally he eats the entire Christmas turkey! Mum gets cross, and the kitten runs away. But when he doesn't come back, the Hudson family have to venture out on Christmas Day to find their naughty kitten. Can they have a merry Christmas after all?This gorgeous book is illustrated in two-colour throughout, with a special section at the back for Christmas facts, jokes, craft activities and recipes.The kitten in this story will be named by one lucky reader, via a competition hosted by the Reading Zone. Check this space for the big reveal!

    There's a problem outside and this cute bug is going to fix it by swapping colors. TThis is a fun and colorful, fully illustrated ebook, for ages 18 months and up.

    When the tree is taken to town at Christmas, it feels like all his dreams have come true. But what will happen the day after? Find out in this beautifully illustrated modern retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s festive tale. When he was surrounded by the splendor of nature, the little fir tree could only think about what he wasn’t and what he didn’t have and couldn’t see. After the initial excitement of venturing out, though, he finds that the world isn’t quite what he expected. As the story of the little fir tree unfolds—brought to enchanting life with the colorful, folk art–inspired artwork of acclaimed author/illustrator Christopher Corr—so does a touching lesson on appreciating what we already have and a hopeful message of rebirth.