Scalawag has been an outstanding cat all year (at least, according to him). Any troublesome incidents that Santa may or may not have heard about to the contrary can be fully explained. So, Scalawag sets out to write Santa a series of letters in anticipation of Christmas, clearing up any potential misunderstandings, and of course, expressing his Christmas gift wish -- a Catman and Robin video game! But when one incident involves the Christmas tree catching on fire, and Miss Violet (Scalawag's ever-loving, nurturing, and forgiving caretaker) ending up in the emergency room, Scalawag gets a new perspective on things. He writes one last letter to Santa asking him to forget about the video game, and instead asks him to bring a different gift . . . one that expresses the true warmth and spirit of Christmas. 40 pages. Picture book measures 9-3/4'' wide x 10'' high. Full-color throughout. Sturdy hardcover binding with dust jacket. Norma Lewis lives in Grand Haven, Michigan, with a cat coincidentally named Scalawag. He did not inspire the cat-astrophic shenanigans described in this or any other book, but she knows he could and lives in fear that he will. This is Norma's fifth book for children. Olivia Beckman worked for years in graphic design and magazine layout until one day her little inner bird whispered to her that it was time to focus on the type of illustration that inspired her to study the Fine Arts in the first place -- children's art! She feels very lucky to illustrate children's books -- and especially loves drawing people doing everyday activities, animals with fluffy fur, and mischievous cats.

In Bad Kitty: Searching for Santa, by bestselling author/illustrator Nick Bruel, Kitty's back for another Christmas tale—this time involving Santa! In this hilarious story, Kitty battles with Santa and loses. Or does she? Kitty wants to write a letter. Actually, she wants to write a letter to Santa. But has Kitty been good this year? Hmmm . . . Kitty’s not so sure. She writes the letter anyway and is soon on her way to meet Santa in real life at the mall! Will she make it in time? Will Santa give Kitty what she’s asking for?

It's almost Christmas, and everyone—from Mrs. Claus right down to the littlest elf—is getting ready for the big day. But there's something wrong at the North Pole. It's just a bit too . . . quiet. Oh no! Santa has lost his laugh! Where could it be? And how can there be Christmas without Santa's Ho! Ho! Ho! From the author of Santa's New Suit and Who'll Pull Santa's Sleigh Tonight? comes a holiday romp that's sure to make readers giggle with glee.

In The Myths that Stole Christmas, Johnson argues that Christmas has been hijacked by seven different myths-seven myths that control how people conceive of and celebrate the holiday. Myth #1: Jesus Is the Reason for the Season Myth #2: There Is a War on Christmas Myth #3: Our Christmas Traditions Are Old-Fashioned Myth #4: Christmas Spending Is Good for the Economy Myth #5: Santa Claus Is Saint Nicholas Myth #6: The Santa Claus Lie Is Harmless Myth #7: Christmas Can't Change Historically, holiday celebrations served useful social functions; they smoothed tension between social classes; they helped us prepare for the long hard winter; they turned the literal darkest days into the "hap-happiest season of all." Modern Christmas celebrations, however, serve as a source of conflict-and can make us anxious, stressed, fat, poor and stupid. Christmas owns us; we do what it wants, when it wants. But, Johnson argues, taking a close look at the history of the holiday, and the social, political and economic issues that surround it, can turn the tables and allow us to own Christmas once again. Christmas is not a Christians-only holiday that can only be properly celebrated a certain way. Christmas belongs to us all and we can each simply make it what we need it to be.

On Christmas Eve, Santa sets off to deliver presents to a little boy. But between a snowstorm, an icy roof, and a dusty chimney, things don't go as expected.

Sometimes even the merriest, most cheerful guy on the planet wakes up on the wrong side of the bed… First, after a restless night due to Mrs. Claus's snoring, Santa awakes on Christmas morning and stubs his toe. Then the elves shrink his suit, his sleigh gets buried in a snowdrift, and he gets stuck in a chimney. Santa’s had just about enough! But just in the nick of time, he discovers a very special gift of milk and cookies waiting for him. As he munches on the delicious snack, Santa's remembers what Christmas is all about—the gift of love—and, merrily, his grumpies melt away. Now available as a board book, this merrily irreverent Yuletide story, brought to life by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, will tickle funny bones and touch hearts far and wide.

Bad Santas is not a book for children. Here you will find the bloody, the bawdy and the downright bizarre in a celebration of the most imaginative, macabre and curious Christmas figures and customs from across Europe. Drawing on that continent's legacy of disquieting folk tales told at wintertime, Paul Hawkins' gleefully dark exploration of seasonal folklore is the perfect book for reading around the fireside.