Non-religious

The Lump of Coal

This is a story about a lump of coal who can think, talk, and move itself around.

Is there a more charming holiday tale to behold? Probably, but Lemony Snicket has not written one.

Happy Birthday to You! (Classic Seuss)

Illus. in color. "The Great Birthday Bird guides us on a birthday trip. The multicolored excursion is a festive one."--School Library Journal.

Olivia Forms a Band

Book Description:
Everyone's favorite Caldecott Honor-winning porcine diva is back and with fanfare! There are going to be fireworks tonight, and Olivia can hardly wait to hear the band. But when she finds out that there isn't going to be a band, she can't understand why not. How can there be fireworks without a band?! And so Olivia sets to putting a band together herself... all by herself. Using pots, pans, her brother's toys, and even her father's suspenders, Olivia forms a band spectacular enough to startle any audience. Lavishly brought to life in Ian Falconer's signature style, and introducing an eye-catching shade of blue, here is Olivia doing what Olivia does best--making noise

Exclusive Art from Ian Falconer's Olivia Forms a Band

Why wasn't this picture included in the book? Here's a look inside the creation of a blockbuster picture book. There were 60 images selected for Olivia Forms a Band out of over 70 pieces of art submitted by Olivia creator Ian Falconer. Sixty images may sound like a lot, but many pages are filled with multiple depictions of our porcine heroine. For instance, when you look at the page where Olivia is removing Daddy's suspenders, this page has nine separate drawings. On the other hand, the glorious fireworks scenes are all composed of one piece of art per page. For this particular image of Olivia provided exclusively for Amazon.com customers, Falconer didn't feel like this artwork captured Olivia's true character. However, many people in-house at Simon & Schuster loved the picture and thought it was typical of a 5-year-old playing with her mother's lipstick. While there's a lot to love in this picture, Ian Falconer after all is the man behind Olivia. He knows better than anyone what makes something up to "Olivia standards." Sometimes that is as simple as being able to know which image works best for a particular moment in the book. In this instance Falconer felt the drawings that were used in the final book served the scene better, and with that this one was left on the cutting room floor.

All About Olivia

Teatro Olivia	Olivia... and the Missing Toy	Olivia Saves the Circus	Olivia

Everyone's favorite Caldecott Honor-winning porcine diva is back and with fanfare! There are going to be fireworks tonight, and Olivia can hardly wait to hear the band. But when she finds out that there isn't going to be a band, she can't understand why not. How can there be fireworks without a band?! And so Olivia sets to putting a band together herself...all by herself. Using pots, pans, her brother's toys, and even her father's suspenders, Olivia forms a band spectacular enough to startle any audience. Lavishly brought to life in Ian Falconer's signature style, and introducing an eye-catching shade of blue, here is Olivia doing what Olivia does best -- making noise.

Curious George Complete Adventures Deluxe Book and CD Gift Set

This handsome gift set includes the top-selling The Complete
Adventures of Curious George plus an unabridged audio collection.
Featuring not only all seven original Curious George stories (Curious
George, Curious George Flies a Kite, Curious George Gets a Medal,
Curious George Goes to the Hospital, Curious George Rides a Bike,
Curious George Takes a Job, and Curious George Learns the
Alphabet), the special collector's edition also includes a bonus photo
album of the Reys, an introduction by Leonard Marcus, and an essay
by Dee Jones. The book is packaged with five CDs that include audio
recordings of the stories, available with and without turn signals, for
three and a half hours of entertainment. CDs are packaged in
reusable paper slipcase.

The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice

The beginning of winter is marked by the solstice, the shortest day of the year. Long ago, people grew afraid when each day had fewer hours of sunshine than the day before. Over time, they realized that one day each year the sun started moving toward them again. In lyrical prose and cozy illustrations, this book explains what the winter solstice is and how it has been observed by various cultures throughout history. Many contemporary holiday traditions were borrowed from ancient solstice celebrations. Simple science activities, ideas for celebrating the day in school and at home, and a further-reading list are included.

Illustrated by Jesse Reisch.

Clifford's Birthday Party

It's Clifford's birthday, and Emily Elizabeth is throwing a big party. There's a pinata to break, presents to open, and a very special birthday cake. Surprise! Out pops Clifford's whole family to help celebrate. Full color.

Daddy Hugs (Classic Board Book)

Daddy loves to give Baby hugs to say "I love you!"

Now Baby and Daddy can cuddle and count along with this hug-and-read book perfect for Baby's teeny, tiny hands.

Corgiville Fair

Chronicles the events of the Corgiville Fair, especially the foul play by Edgar Tomcat in his attempt to win the goat race.

Birthday Monsters! (Boynton on Board)

A die-cut cover opens to reveal chunky pages full of delightful dinosaurs singing, dancing, lumbering, galloping, and gallivanting in a board book that celebrates chaotic silliness.

Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes

Filled with delectable recipes, hands-on family activities, and traditional tales to read aloud, this extraordinary collection will inspire families everywhere to re-create the magic of Chinese holidays in their own homes. They can feast on golden New Year's dumplings and tasty moon cakes, build a miniature boat for the Dragon Boat Festival and a kite at Qing Ming, or share the story of the greedy Kitchen God or the valiant warrior Hou Yi.
This stunning compilation from bestselling cookbook author Nina Simonds and Leslie Swartz of the Children's Museum, Boston, is the perfect gift for families that have embraced Chinese holidays for generations--and for those just beginning new traditions.