Books in Christmas series

Many Christmas symbols are very old and date to before there even was a Christmas! Elves, however, were likely introduced to the mythology of Santa Claus in the 1820s with the famous poem, "The Night Before Christmas." In this book, beginning readers trace these first mentions of elves to the modern-day "Elf on a Shelf" craze. Full-color photographs and historical illustrations complement the accessible content and bring the history of Christmas elves to children who may be waiting to see if their elf has moved in the night.

Six-year-old Gwen wrote a letter to Santa Claus because she believed in the magic of Christmas—and she wanted a bike! Santa’s son, Arthur Claus, was in charge of all the mail that arrived at the North Pole. He received Gwen’s letter and wanted to make her holiday wish come true. But on Christmas Eve, Santa’s super high-tech gadgets make a mistake! Gwen’s bike gets left behind on his S-1 sleigh, and as the minutes tick by, it looks like poor Gwen won’t receive her present. Christmas will never be the same when Arthur, a stowaway gift-wrapping elf named Bryony, and Arthur’s grandpa Grandsanta decide to launch their own “Mission Christmas” and take merry matters into their own, not-very-capable hands. Includes behind-the-scenes artwork used to create the movie!

In the original poem in which Santa's reindeer were named, "Donner" and "Blitzen" were actually spelled "Dunder" and "Blixem." Today known as "The Night Before Christmas," the poem from 1823 may be the very beginning of children hearing that Santa's sleigh was pulled by reindeer. Full of photographs and historical illustrations of Santa and his reindeer, this volume delights beginning readers eager to find out just how these beasts came to be a symbol of the Christmas season. There's also a special section dedicated to everyone's favorite reindeer, Rudolph.

Much of the detail in Santa Claus lore was added to his long history of stories in the 19th century. His storied home became the North Pole around this time. Today, the North Pole is symbolic of Santa, and sending letters there may be an essential part of the Christmas season. Beginning readers will be in awe of how this story came to be and can read more about real-life "North Poles," such as Santa's Village in Finland. Colorful historical illustrations aid readers' understanding as they learn about this Christmas symbol.

Even before Christmas celebrations began, evergreen trees were used as part of winter festivals and celebrations. Today, many people still bring a real fir tree into their home at Christmastime, or an artificial tree that may come in any color including green, silver, or pink. Written with age-appropriate language and content, this book explains the symbolism behind our use of Christmas trees today and the many famous trees readers may know, including the huge tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

Whether you call your January 6th celebration El Dia de los Reyes or the Feast of the Epiphany, you're celebrating a day dedicated to the three kings. Sometimes called the three wise men or the magi, these figures are part of the Christmas story and often appear in nativity scenes during this time of year. In some places, they're more important than Santa Claus. In this volume, readers discover the history of the three kings' story as well as how they are celebrated in cultures around the world today.