Through letters and a funny story based on the classic Christmas song, popular illustrator Remkiewicz takes youngsters on a holiday trip to Florida while presenting fun facts about the Sunshine State. Full color.

A classic Christmas story featuring all the magic of Santa combined with the magic of your favorite city, state, or country. It's the night before Christmas and you're nestled snug in your bed. Your stocking is hung by the chimney with care--will Santa visit your house? Follow Santa's journey in this magical retelling of a Christmas classic starring the locations and landmarks that make the place where you live special!

When Bing Crosby’s "White Christmas" debuted in 1942, no one imagined that a holiday song would top the charts year after year. One of the best-selling singles ever released, it remains on rotation at tree lighting ceremonies across the country, in crowded shopping malls on Black Friday, and at warm diners on lonely Christmas Eve nights. Over the years, other favorites have been added to America’s annual playlist, including Elvis Presley’s "Blue Christmas," the King Cole Trio’s "The Christmas Song," Gene Autry’s "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Willie Nelson’s "Pretty Paper," and, of course, Elmo & Patsy’s "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." Viewing American holiday values through the filter of familiar Christmas songs, Ronald Lankford examines popular culture, consumerism, and the dynamics of the traditional American family. He surveys more than seventy-five years of songs and reveals that the “modern American Christmas” has carried a complex and sometimes contradictory set of meanings. Interpreting tunes against the backdrop of the eras in which they were first released, he identifies the repeated themes of nostalgia, commerce, holiday blues, carnival, and travesty that underscore so much beloved music. This first full-length analysis of the lyrics, images, and commercial forces inextricably linked to Yuletide music hits the heart of what many Americans think Christmas is--or should be.

"Take a fun holiday trip to Michigan! As each of the twelve days of Christmas pass, very unusual gifts from around the state pile up"--

Milton the moose wants to help pull Santa's sleigh. At first, clumsy Milton isn't very good at landing on roofs. But when the sleigh becomes too heavy for the tired reindeer, it's Milton to the rescue. A reissued edition in leveled reader format by Syd Hoff, author of Danny and the Dinosaur.

Around the world Santa Claus has many names. But in a deep, swampy bayou of Louisiana, he's known as Papa Noël. In such a hot and humid place, there can be no sleds or reindeer, so Papa Noël rides the river in a boat that's pulled by eight alligators, with a snowy white one named Nicollette in the lead. On this particular Christmas Eve, it's so foggy on the river that even Nicollette's magical glowing-green eyes may not be enough to guide Papa Noël. The alligators are tired, grumpy and bruised from banging into cypress trees, and Papa is desperate to get all the gifts to the little children. Well, "quicker than a snake shimmies down the river," the clever Cajun people come up with a solution that saves the day. A colorfully inventive Christmas tale, Papa Noël is a lesson in fast thinking, as well as a witty introduction to a part of America that's rich in folklore and legend.

In this rhyming story, readers follow the adventures of Santa's best dog, Lance, when he falls out of the sleigh one Christmas Eve. He's taken in by the animal shelter then brought home by a military family who needs some help as Dad is called to serve his country. When Christmas Eve comes 'round the next year, Lance must decide whether to return to the North Pole with his friend Santa or stay with his new family. A sure favorite for anyone who loves dogs, especially rescue dogs, SANTA'S DOG is a heartwarming tale for youngsters and the young-at-heart.