"Much of the detail in Santa Claus lore was added to his long history of stories in the 19th century. His storied home became the North Pole around this time. Today, the North Pole is symbolic of Santa, and sending letters there may be an essential part of the Christmas season. Beginning readers will be in awe of how this story came to be and can read more about real-life 'North Poles, ' such as Santa's Village in Finland. Colorful historical illustrations...

In Loren Long's touching interpretation of "Twas the night before Christmas, " readers are invited to visit the homes of four families-- each on Christmas Eve. What do these four homes share? The excitement and anticipation of the most splendid night of the year. In this reimagined tale, the author and illustrator reminds us that no matter where we live, all children share the same wish for Christmas magic.

"Can you imagine writing to Father Christmas and actually getting a reply? For more than twenty years, the children of J.R.R. Tolkien received letters from the North Pole -- from Father Christmas himself! They told wonderful stories of mischief and disaster, adventures and battles: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place, how the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's...

"How does Santa make it around the world delivering presents in one night? Where did that notion even come from? The stories about Santa Claus are many and spark the imaginations of old and young alike. Starting with the tale of St. Nicholas and tracing some of the most interesting stories about the modern Santa Claus, this book for beginning readers is a must-have for anyone celebrating the Christmas season. Full-color photographs and historical...

Everything is going wrong as Pastor McDougall tries to get ready for the Christmas Eve play, and it takes a visit from St. Nick to remind him what Christmas is really about.

"Many Christmas symbols are very old and date to before there even was a Christmas! Elves, however, were likely introduced to the mythology of Santa Claus in the 1820s with the famous poem, "The Night Before Christmas." In this book, beginning readers trace these first mentions of elves to the modern-day "Elf on a Shelf" craze. Full-color photographs and historical illustrations complement the accessible content and bring the history of Christmas...

"Explores Christmas traditions from around the world, including foods, gift-giving, and religious celebrations. Additional features to aid comprehension include a table of contents, a phonetic glossary, informative captions, detailed maps, sources for further research, an index, and introductions to the author and illustrator"--Provided by the publisher.

Going on a road trip? See the silly side of travel as you explore the wackiest landmarks from around the world--a place where you can walk in real dinosaur tracks, a hotel where you sleep in an igloo, a crazy beard festival, a UFO museum, and so much more. You won't believe our world is full of so many bizarre and wonderful places!