This enchanting Christmas Chronicles classic combines solid historical fact with glorious legend to deliver the definitive story of Santa Claus. For anyone who has ever wondered...you're right to believe in him!In "The Autobiography of Santa Claus", Santa reveals his story for the first time. Nicholas (his real name) was born in the Middle Eastern country of Lycia to wealthy parents who died when he was young. The kind people of Lycia taught him the lessons of goodness and generosity, which he began to practice as a child by sharing his wealth with those in need. As a young man, Nicholas realised that this generosity had bestowed upon him special abilities to distribute his presents to deserving children everywhere. And so it was that Santa broadened his gift-giving and spread his message to many others who also valued his belief in the goodness of giving. Families will delight in each chapter of this Christmas classic - one per each cold December night leading up to Christmas! And who is better to lead us through seventeen centuries of Christmas magic than good ol' Saint Nick himself?

Since its 1990 publication, Rose's Christmas Cookies has been a phenomenal success. Who can resist Chocolate-Dipped Melting Moments Cookies or moist Mini-Cheesecakes with Lemon Curd . . . or David Shamah's Jumbles, a fabulous cross between a chocolate-chip cookie and a chunky candy bar bursting with raisins, chocolate chips, and pecans. Whether you need a cookie to decorate your tree or grace your mantelpiece (cookies like Stained Glass or Christmas Wreaths), a sweet to send (Mahogany Butter Crunch Toffee, Maple Macadamia Bars), or a special holiday treat for your dinner party (Praline Truffle Cups, Chocolate-Pistachio Marzipan Spirals), you'll find that perfect something here. Complete with 60 cookie recipes and a color photograph of each cookie for handy reference, this easy-to-use and fun-to-read book will result in scrumptious, festive, and splendid-looking cookies every time.

Called one of America's favorite Christmas stories, and now a classic television movie, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has been a favorite of young readers the world over since 1972. Funny, memorable, and outrageous, it is the story of a family of incorrigible children who discover the Christmas story for the first time and help everyone else rediscover its true meaning.

A one-of-a-kind book that allows children to enjoy the Christmas story while they learn the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. Each chapter features a narrative about one of the characters in the Christmas story with easy-to-follow directions on folding that character. Eleven characters compose the finished Nativity scene. Full color.

It's December 24th, and the old farmer settles down for a winter's nap, wondering how Christmas can come when there is no snow! It is in his dream that he imagines a snowstorm coming and covering him and his animals--named One, Two, Three, Four and Five--in a snowy blanket. But when the farmer awakens, he finds that it has really snowed outside, and now he remembers something! Putting on his red suit, he goes outside, puts some gifts under the tree for his animals, and presses a button near a Christmas tree, creating a most surprising musical treat for children everywhere.

"Few in number are the parents who have made it through their toddler's years on just one copy of Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Dream Snow has similar ingredients: a simple story, lively collage-like illustrations and a fun gimmick for little hands..." (Time)

"This is a simple, well-told story about a simple farmer.... Viewers...will want to get their hands on it." (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books)

"Carle fans and toddlers learning the basics will...enjoy the gentle text and creative design features." (Booklist)

"The pictures are in Carle's trademark richly colored and textured collages that capture the snowy magic of Christmas." (Kirkus Reviews)

For those who have grown tired of Christmas commercialism, who feel Santa Claus and red-nosed reindeer do not project the true Christmas spirit, this book may be the answer. With little-known classics by old and new masters of the genre, this unique anthology of Christmas stories, songs, and poems has long been a seasonal favorite of old and young alike.

Get into the Christmas spirit with these quick-and-easy holiday projects - from adorable applique designs for Santas, snowmen, sleighs, snowflakes to creating tree skirts, table runners, and other festive accessories. "A Cozy Quilted Christmas" presents 17 festive projects and over 90 full-size patterns to mix and match. Great for gifts and great for making the festive season more cheerful than ever before, these projects put the ho-ho-ho in home decor!

Unlike its more pristine relation, the hymn, the carol has an earthy and exuberant heritage derived from folk dances and pagan festivals. Carols are associated with festive occasions that often involve eating and drinking, and there have even been attempts to ban them in earlier centuries. Ian Bradley's expansive collection of carols explores the richness of the genre both chronologically and geographically, placing each carol in its historical context, from the fifteenth century to the 1990s, and covering every variety of carol, from African-American spirituals and Caribbean calypso to old favorites such as "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Away in a Manger". Here are enthralling anecdotes, long-lost verses, and tidings of comfort and joy for all.

Nine years and thirteen printings later, Unplug the Christmas Machine is still the undisputed guide to creating a joyful, stress-free holiday season. Revised and filled with new material, this book will enjoy even greater popularity in the years to come.

In the pages of Unplug the Christmas Machine, Jo Robinson and jean Coppock Staeheli answer the questions they have heard most often in their many years of talking with people about Christmas, such as: "How can I reduce the stress of preparing for Christmas?" "How can I make our celebration more spiritual and less materialistic?" "How can I get my husband to be more enthusiastic about Christmas?" "How can I get my wife to relax and enjoy the celebration?" and "How can I help my children see that Christmas is more than just presents?" Readers will turn to this book for inspiration and practical advice year after year.

IT'S DECEMBER, and Christmas is coming, but Caroline Malloy and Wally Hatford aren't singing carols around the tree. Instead, these sworn enemies must interview each other for the dreaded December class project. Caroline, as usual, has a trick up her sleeve that's sure to shock Wally in front of the entire class. That's just the first step in her plan to gross Wally out.

In the meantime, Wally and his brothers find a way to spy on the Malloy girls at home. The girls vow to get revenge on those sneaky Hatfords with a trap the boys won't soon forget. To make matters worse, Caroline and Wally are really in for it when the gross-out gifts they mean for each other end up in the most unexpected places. Ho ho ho! You'd better watch out when the Hatfords and Malloys come to town. Readers everywhere will welcome the return of their favorite feuding families.

Filled with imaginative ideas for bringing a more personal touch to Christmas by creating gifts, cards, recipes and decorations, the authors explore four decorative themes - Traditional, Nordic, Contemporary Whites and Contemporary Brights.

As the song says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year." And the weirdest. Friends and neighbors, married couples and lovers, parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren gather together and celebrate Christmas . . . Hanukkah . . . the Winter Solstice . . . Humbug Day. And for every familiar carol sung and every turkey dinner eaten and every red stocking hung, there are curses hurled, trees turned upside-down, and lumps of coal regifted. And that's just the beginning. In "The Upside-Down Christmas Tree, " anyone looking to laugh their way through the stress of the holidays will discover what truly strange goings-on go on behind closed doors in homes and towns around the world during the twelve days of Christmas, including: * Weird holiday food & drink traditions and toasts* Unusual decorations and celebrations* Shopping idiosyncrasies, presents from hell, and bizarre gift exchanges* Wild and wacky variations on the Santa Claus theme* Dysfunctional family antics associated with the holidays* What people will do to avoid going home for the holidays* Family and cultural traditions from around the globe