This engaging work takes a humorous look at a group of children (and their adult directors) preparing a Christmas play. From tryouts through the performance they experience Jesus in new and genuine ways. Young people will relate to the characters portrayed here, such as a star with a stage mother, an enthusiastic first-time director, a jaded preacher's kid, and a lonely youngster who discovers the gospel of Christ and the real meaning of Christmas for the first time.The most appealing features of this entertaining piece are its flexibility and practicality. The unique format allows several opportunities for children to share their individual talents (singing, playing piano or instruments, etc.) as they audition for the pageant. The material is easy to learn, and you can choose well-known Christmas carols for the choir to sing. Requiring few costumes and simple sets, this play allows you to involve as few or as many as you wish. Around the core cast of six children and four adults (who could be portrayed by older youth) are a choir (including all participants) and preschool children cast as animals. This inspirational resource can be adapted for presentation by churches of any size, and can be used as a children's production or a youth production.

The bestselling star of No, David! turns Christmas traditions upside down with laugh-aloud humor. Readers of all ages will vividly remember trying to peek at hidden gift packages; writing scrolls of wish lists to Santa; and struggling to behave at formal Christmas dinner parties. Always in the background, we know Santa Claus is watching, soon to decide if David deserves a shiny new fire truck or a lump of coal under the tree. From playing with delicate ornaments to standing in an endlessly long line for Santa, here are common Christmas activities--but with David's naughty trimmings. A surefire hit that is destined to be an annual classic.

Two children sitting at home on a rainy day are visited by the cat in the hat who shows them some tricks and games.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Jim Panzee, our favorite grumpy monkey, is feeling like quite the Scrooge this holiday season! It's Christmas time in the jungle, and Jim just can't get into the holiday spirit. Then Jim eats a "festive" green banana that makes him feel sick. Now everything seems worse. While all the other animals in the jungle are ready and eagerly awaiting Christmas, Jim can't stop feeling that this time of year stinks. But with his good friend Norman's help, Jim discovers that focusing on the good things around him instead of his own problems, is a reason to celebrate.

Sleighless Usually, pre-Christmas at Santas workshop is hectic with toy building in full swing, but not this year. Toy production is ahead of schedule and will not need help from the grandmas and the grandpas. Santa rewards the elves with some well-deserved R&R, but rest and relaxation is not agreeable to Ric. He must prove to Santa that the boy elves are superior toy makers and athletes. Ric challenges the girl elves to an assortment of athletic events, and thats when disaster strikes. What, no sleigh to deliver toys and when you think it cant get worse, it does. Santa has a big problem. If you know how to build sleighs, please contact Santa, North Pole. He needs your help.

In this exciting Christmas adventure, Ebenezer Scrooge returns from the grave to battle ghouls, goblins and demons to save the world. Christmas is a time of goodwill and peace on Earth, but that is about to change. The Spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future are forgotten, lost and dying. Ignorant and Want, the yellow, meager, ragged, scowling, wolfish children shown hiding within the folds of the robe of the Ghost of Christmas Present are the new Spirits of Christmas, and they have returned to bring Doom to the world. Only they are not alone... there is another, a Demon called Doubt, that wants nothing more than to bring about the end of days. Only one man can stop this apocalypse, Ebenezer Scrooge. But hasn't he been dead for nearly two hundred years?