Early Literacy

Ready to laugh, cry, sing, frolic, cavort and enjoy yourself beyond belief. Well, you're in luck, because this Great Gonzo₂s ₁From Chickens to Dickens' 20th Anniversary Edition of The Muppet Christmas Carol is guaranteed to put you in a holiday spirit that will stay with you forever, or at least until your Aunt Edna starts complaining that nobody is eating the fruitcake she brought, again!

Jack Skellington is the King of Halloween. He becomes bored with the same routine every year. He decides to take a walk in the woods. There, he discovered a door leading to Christmastown and decides to spread Christmas joy to the world. When he is back in Halloweentown he shows his friends what Christmas is like, and he suggests doing Christmas this year instead. But things do not go as planned when Oogie Boogie, an evil gambling boogey man, plots to play a game with Santa Claus' life and creates a nightmare for all the good little boys and girls everywhere. Although Sally attempts to stop him, Jack embarks into the sky on a coffin-like sled pulled by skeletal reindeer.

A human baby accidentally ends up at the North Pole and grows up among the elf community. Buddy, as he comes to be known, knows that he's "special". When he's 30, Buddy learns from Santa that he's really a human. He decides to go in search of his father, to find out where he belongs. He walks to Manhattan, and is immediately run over by a cab. His father at first rejects him and Buddy ends up in a department store where other elves are working. But all the while, things are looking bad for Santa Claus. When Santa crashes his sleigh in Central Park, it's Buddy's moment to shine.

Discover the true meaning of the holiday season with the live action adaption of the beloved classic. Why is the Grinch such a grouch? No one seems to know, until little Cindy Lou Who takes matters into her own hands and turns both Whoville and the Grinch's world upside down, inside out-- and funny side up.

Rusty the reindeer heads for the big city in order to find his role in Christmas, but Santa's Naughty 'n Nice O-matic is on the blink and Rusty cannot tell the good kids from the naughty ones. Alone in the big city, Rusty discovers a support group for holiday icons who team up with Rusty to save a kid from the fate of the Christmas Naughty List. Go on an exciting ride through all the hype of the holiday season as a merry band of holiday icons searches for the meaning of it all.

Take a trip to the North Pole and discover exactly how Santa Claus makes Christmas magic happen every year in this imaginative comedy for the entire family. Produced by Aardman Features in association with Sony Pictures Animation, this fun-filled holiday film introduces viewers to Santa's mischievous son Arthur, who races to complete an important mission in time to ensure that this year's Christmas celebrations will go off without a hitch.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and based on children's author Chris Van Allsburg's modern holiday classic of the same name, The Polar Express revolves around Billy (Hayden McFarland), who longs to believe in Santa Claus but finds it quite difficult to do so, what with his family's dogged insistence that all of it, from the North Pole, to the elves, to the man himself, is all just a myth. This all changes, however, on Christmas Eve, when a mysterious train visits Billy in the middle of the night, promising to take him and a group of other lucky children to the North Pole for a visit with Santa. The train's conductor (Tom Hanks) along with the other passengers help turn Billy's crisis in faith into a journey of self-discovery. A long-time fan of Van Allsburg's book, Hanks also helped produce the film. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Hear the words, sing the songs, dance to the beat, and shout "Harambee!" as you jump into this joyful celebration of the sounds of Kwanzaa!

Through lively verse and colorful illustrations, this festive book celebrates the history and meaning of Kwanzaa. Families will enjoy the hands-on fun of lighting their own candles as they journey through this festive holiday and learn about its traditions and principles. As an added gift, this instructional book includes a no-bake Kwanzaa recipe.

A brand-new New York Times bestselling Pete the Cat Christmas picture book!

Pete and his friends are rockin’ and groovin’ while counting down the days to Christmas! Who needs five golden rings, when you can have five onion rings?

Join Pete and the gang for one-of-a-kind holiday cheer. He adds a cool-cat spin on a well-known Christmas carol, bringing a hip and energetic spirit to the season.

This is a perfect Christmas gift for Pete the Cat fans who are eagerly awaiting Santa’s arrival.

’Twas Nochebuena and all through our casa, 

every creature was kneading tamale masa...

It’s Christmas Eve, and you’re invited to a Nochebuena celebration! Follow a family as they prepare to host a night filled with laughter, love, and Latino tradition. Make tasty tamales and hang colorful adornos (decorations) on the walls. Gather to sing festive canciones (songs) while sipping champurrado (hot chocolate). After the midnight feast has been served and the last gifts have been unwrapped, it’s time to cheer, “Feliz Navidad and to all a good night!”

Savor the magic of Nochebuena with a holiday tale you’ll want to read again and again.