We at The Laughing Elephant believe that Christmas, like other celebrations and holidays, is - in addition to its other roles - a complex set of feelings built on our memories of a shared cultural heritage. Few of us in the 21st century have seen a flaming Christmas pudding or Yule log or ridden in a one horse open sleigh, and yet these, and other holiday icons, have become embedded in our collective ideal of Christmas through culture and tradition. In The Big Book of Christmas we attempt to bring to vivid life - through a montage of vintage images and appropriate words - the most treasured i... View More...
Celebrate the season with an innovative Advent calendar, story book set, and tree-trimming keepsake. Wonderfully illustrated and brimming with holiday spirit, this unique advent calendar features 24 jewel-like miniature board books to help children count down to Christmas. Each day from December 1st through Christmas Eve, open a book, just like the peek-a-boo window on an Advent calendar, and then hang it on the Christmas tree by its gold thread loop. Read in sequence, the books tell the magical story of the first Christmas, from Gabriel's visit to Mary to the Three Wise Men gazing at the sta... View More...
Look A Child's Guide to Advent and Christmas presents Advent as special time for waiting and watching--paying attention--to the ways God comes to us. Told from the point of a view of a child, the story weaves together familiar Advent traditions like the Jesse tree and the Advent wreath, biblical stories and characters, and reflections on what these stories call us to do and be. This book reassures children of the presence of God in all times and places and invites them to become part of the holy work of making Christ present in the world. View More...
One of the great examples of the graphic novel form. Should inspire a new generation. -- The AtlanticCantalbert is a simple juggler but the world takes no interest in his only real gift, and he feels inadequate compared to people with meaningful jobs. Seeking a more spiritual approach to life, he enters a monastery. Cantalbert's menial chores among the monks fail to instill the self-doubting juggler with any sense of worth ― until he experiences a soul-stirring encounter with a statue of Mary, the Mother of Christ.This magical 1952 retelling of a medieval legend, featuring winsome waterc... View More...
The Christmas horse is on a journey to meet baby Jesus Join him and his animal friends with the three wise men as they cross snow-capped mountains, swift rivers, and hot deserts to reach the peaceful stable in Bethlehem where baby Jesus lies in a manger. Enjoy the beautiful scenery as captured by Isabelle Brent s stunning illustrations and experience the wonder as the pure-hearted animals and the wise men finally meet their savior and king. The journey of the Three Wise Men following the star is here told from the point of view of the three courageous animals that carried them: Safanad the ho... View More...
A warm, fun-loving Christmas picture book for families to share and love and laugh over together. A grumpy little troll runs away from home because he doesn't want to do his chores. Rollo tries living with various woodland animals, but he finds out that there is no place like home, and returns to his family just in time for the best Christmas ever. Among the animals who take him in are an owl family, a mother bear and two rambunctious cubs, some playful river otters, a hungry lynx and a friendly moose family. Jan Brett creates an irresistible, mischievous character that kids will recognize in ... View More...
Looking for a fresh collection of stories to usher in the season of joy and giving? For those grown tired of commercialism, who feel that Santa Claus and red-nosed reindeer do not project the true Christmas spirit, this book may be the answer. Containing little-known classics by old and new masters of the genre, this bestselling anthology includes stories from many lands, interspersed with songs and poems - over half the contents available in English for the first time. View More...
Where did the reindeer that draw Santa's sleigh come from? Journey to the far North with Tuktu and Aklak, a pair of young Eskimos, and enter Kringle Valley to meet magical caribou and Santa himself. Thornton W. Burgess, the creator of Peter Cottontail and other popular characters from children's literature, combines folklore with facts in this delightful Christmas tale. In addition to learning about the Northern Lights, caribou, and other aspects of Arctic life, you'll discover a wealth of legends and traditions. The story is enhanced by seven charming full-page illustrations by Rhoda Chase.... View More...
Generations of believers in hope and goodwill have made Valentine Davies' Miracle on 34th Street a treasured part of their holiday traditions. Millions of copies of this award-winning story have sold since its first publication in 1947, delighting readers of all ages. A facsimile edition of the book is now faithfully re-created, offering a new generation--and fans of the original--the beauty of the classic 1940s design. Details of how the book came to be written, and made into a beloved film, are included in a brief historical note.
Celebrate the holidays with the Crayons in this festive story from #1 New York Times best-selling duo Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers. This special book has letters, games, ornaments, a poster, and even a pop-up Christmas tree 'Tis the season for all of us to write our holiday wishlists. But everyone--even the crayons--know the best presents are the ones that you give. In this unique book, readers get to see how Duncan, the crayons, and their families celebrate the holidays. With real, folded letters from the Crayons that you can pull from their envelopes and read, games, punch-out ornaments... View More...
A timeless celebration of Christmas from the legendary Newbery and Caldecott Honor winner Tomie dePaola This collection unifies three of the incomparable Tomie dePaola's most beloved Christmas stories into one handsome volume. Vividly portrayed and expertly crafted, The Night of Las Posadas, The Story of the Three Wise Kings, and The Legend of the Poinsettia are sure enchant and mesmerize the whole family during the holiday season. View More...
In Strega Nona's village, the holiday season is a time of celebrations - and nothing says celebration like a feast All the kitchens are bustling from the Feast of San Nicola, when the children choose the food, to the Feast of Epiphany, when someone gets to be king or queen for the day. Even the animals share in the holiday spirit, and when Big Anthony smells the delicious treats Strega Nona is cooking for them, he decides that just a taste couldn't hurt, right? Wrong Big Anthony gets his just desserts, while Strega Nona surprises everyone with a special gift. Starring two of Tomie dePaola's ... View More...