Parick's Day, come dance a jig with the students in the classroom ALA Booklist calls "a lively place."Today in Mrs. Madoff's class we all wore something green to school. Kate played the fiddle and we danced to Irish music. Then we learned about St. Patrick and many Irish tales and traditions. Now we know why there are no snakes in Ireland. Not every-one in school is all Irish like me, but we all can celebrate St. Patrick's Day together!

    Clever Matti uses snow to disguise the gingerbread instruments while Gingerbread Baby leads the audience on a merry chase to the smartest hiding place ever--a giant Christmas tree.

    And holy moly, are their presents extraordinary. The little angel wants to give a present too, but, what could she possibly offer that is as worthy as the others’ gifts? At a loss for original ideas, she peeks over the side of her platform and spies something going on in the desert—a caravan of kings on camels, lost in the dark. And suddenly she knows she most do something, and does the only thing she can. Because the greatest gift of all? It can’t be wrapped. It can’t be bought. It can only be selflessly, joyfully given. And it ends up being the perfect gift for that little baby…the shiningest gift at all.

    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. Over seventy 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.

    Together they happily walk through the falling snow, bake Christmas cookies, decorate the house, and sing with friends and family—and at last settle down to sleep. Told and illustrated with Sandra Boynton’s celebrated charm and pizzazz, Merry Christmas, Little Pookie is sure to become a Christmas classic.

    As their world transforms from neighborhood to pirate's lagoon, they shout, "We be pirates. TRICK ARRR TREAT!" But what's lurking in the shadows? Are the pirates brave enough to defend their treasure?

    On Christmas we give and get presents, we sing songs, and we decorate our homes. But what is Christmas really about? Is our happy holiday a Holy Day? Find out why we place the star on the Christmas tree. Imagine Christmas guests as travelers of long ago. And let the beautiful song Silent Night fill your mind with pictures of the night Jesus was born. Because Christmas is God s gift to us and if we look around and remember, we ll learn to see the real Christmas. This endearing story by bestselling novelist Karen Kingsbury will capture the hearts of children and parents and grandparents will appreciate the applications they can share."

    With illustrations that are enchanting and unexpected, Julie Vivas reveals the human side to Mary's story, beautifully imagining the Angel Gabriel delivering the news to her, the exhausting journey with Joseph to Bethlehem, and at last the deliverance of the baby Jesus.

    He tries out a myriad of thirteen different kinds of animals, including tigers (but they almost eat him), mice (too weak), kangaroos (too jumpy), turtles (too slow), cheetahs (too fast), rhinos (too rough), and even monkeys (too playful). But what about... reindeer? Perfect!This humorous peek behind the scenes at the North Pole is told in Jerry Pallotta's kid-friendly style and beautifully illustrated in glorious color by David Biedrzycki.

    . . with beautifully illustrated cats!On a silent winter's night, one star burns brighter than all the rest. "That must be a special star," Mother Cat whispers. When Little Kitten and Mother Cat join the animals journeying toward the starry light, they discover that it is a special star indeed -- shining with peace, love, and joy on this very special night.

    He hops up some steps and finds himself in a place filled with light and warmth and a tall, sparkling tree. He begins to sing but is scared into silence by two voices, one big and one small. It is then that he makes a marvelous discovery. Eve Bunting’s text is filled with her customary tenderness and charm, and Timothy Bush has captured its mood in his luminous illustrations. Together they create a memorable holiday book about a cricket who discovers that though he may be small, he is not insignificant.

    But Christmas is sometimes wrapped in quiet: “Searching for presents quiet,” “Getting caught quiet,” and “Hoping for a snow day quiet.” Irresistibly cute, soft colored pencil illustrations of bunnies, bears, and more paint a magical holiday picture indeed.

    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.

    As she did with the creation story, Rylant has created a sublime take on a classic story that will appeal to readers of all ages.

    When the two travelers reach the stable at the inn, they find what they were searching for -- and a gift they weren't expecting.