It was not such a silent night when Baby Jesus was born. From the baa, baa, baa of sheep to the flut-flut-flutter of angel wings, it was actually quite noisy! Here, from CBA bestseller Dandi Daley Mackall, is the story of the first Christmas, using the sounds of that miraculous night to really bring the story to life. With rich, gorgeous paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, this reverent retelling of the nativity is sure to become an essential part of every Christmas collection.

(Faber Piano Adventures ). Through sacred carols, humorous Santa songs, and winter favorites, adult beginners and those reacquainting with the keyboard can celebrate with the best songs of the season. Adult Piano Adventures Christmas Book 1 features three sections: Beginning Christmas Songs, Christmas Songs in the Key of C major, and Christmas Songs in the key of G major. Contents include: We Wish You a Merry Christmas * Angels We Have Heard on High * Away in a Manger * Jingle Bells * We Three Kings of Orient Are * (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays * It Came Upon the Midnight Clear * O Little Town of Bethlehem * Frosty the Snowman * Jingle-Bell Rock * I'll Be Home for Christmas * Little Drummer Boy * Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas * and more. Online access to audio recordings of the piano selections is included, as well as orchestrated accompaniments for play-along fun.

A fun re-telling of the Christmas story for young children, including regular invitations to make some noise! Some people think that Christmas was a "Silent Night". Far from it. It was filled with shouting, singing and screaming! It was as noisy as any of our Christmas celebrations. This fun and fresh retelling of the Christmas story comes with invitations to make some noise, so that children can join in as parents read to them. But it also shows children that at the heart of the Christmas story is something we should all be quiet and see: God's Son Jesus was born, so that we can be friends with God forever. A wonderful Christmas gift for children aged 2-4.

From an acclaimed military historian comes the astonishing story of World War I's 1914 Christmas truce—a spontaneous celebration when enemies became friends. It was one of history's most powerful—yet forgotten—Christmas stories. It took place in the improbable setting of the mud, cold rain, and senseless killing of the trenches of World War I. It happened in spite of orders to the contrary by superiors. It happened in spite of language barriers. And it still stands as the only time in history that peace spontaneously arose from the lower ranks in a major conflict, bubbling up to the officers and temporarily turning sworn enemies into friends. Silent Night, by renowned military historian Stanley Weintraub, magically restores the 1914 Christmas Truce to history. It had been lost in the tide of horror that filled the battlefields of Europe for months and years afterward. Yet, in December 1914, the Great War was still young, and the men who suddenly threw down their arms and came together across the front lines—to sing carols, exchange gifts and letters, eat and drink and even play friendly games of soccer—naively hoped that the war would be short-lived, and that they were fraternizing with future friends. It began when German soldiers lit candles on small Christmas trees, and British, French, Belgian, and German troops serenaded each other on Christmas Eve. Soon they were gathering and burying the dead, in an age-old custom of truces. But as the power of Christmas grew among them, they broke bread, exchanged addresses and letters, and expressed deep admiration for one another. When angry superiors ordered them to recommence the shooting, many men aimed harmlessly high overhead. Sometimes the greatest beauty emerges from deep tragedy. Surely the forgotten Christmas Truce was one of history's most beautiful moments, made all the more beautiful in light of the carnage that followed it. Stanley Weintraub's moving re-creation demonstrates that peace can be more fragile than war, but also that ordinary men can bond with one another despite all efforts of politicians and generals to the contrary.

This story tells how the well-known Christmas carol "Silent Night" first came to be written and performed in Austria in the early 1800s.