Holiday Nonfiction

Everyone's a New Yorker on Thanksgiving Day, when young and old rise early to see what giant new balloons will fill the skies for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Who first invented these "upside-down puppets"? Meet Tony Sarg, puppeteer extraordinaire!

A yule log burns brightly in a fireplace. Children pop open Christmas crackers to get a surprise. Families enjoy treats such as mince pie and plum pudding. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in England. Come explore the many English traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

It's fall, and it's time to visit the pumpkin patch! Take a close look at pumpkins, learn how to pick a pumpkin, and have some fun on a hayride too. Kids will experience what it's like to visit a pumpkin patch.

It’s time to celebrate Kwanzaa! Light the kinara. Eat a big feast with your family. During Kwanzaa, people come together. They celebrate African-American heritage.

Every year you probably celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December. Someone may have told you that this is the day of Jesus' birth. But nobody actually knows when he was born! The Bible does not give us a date for the birth of Jesus. So early Christians took the date of important ancient festivals and placed Christmas around the same time.Before Christianity, the Romans had a winter festival called Saturnalia, which took place for one week in mid-December.

Briefly discusses the history and customs connected to the celebration of birthdays.

Briefly discusses the history and customs connected to the celebration of Valentine's Day.

Star-shaped decorations called parols decorate walls. People gather for a feast called Noche Buena. Singing groups called cumbancheros fill the streets. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in the Philippines. Come explore the many Philippine traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

Christmas trees and Christmas cards seem to be an essential part of the holiday season. So it may surprise you to know they are both relatively recent traditions in the United States and Britain!

Look out, world - Llama Llama is a TV star! The beloved character, made famous by Anna Dewdney's best-selling picture books, is the star of his own original series, now airing on Netflix. In this episode-based book, Llama Llama is worried that his friends have forgotten about his birthday, but he's in for a big surprise when they throw him a party! Your little llamas will love relating to their favorite picture-book character as he faces new and challenging situations.

Let’s celebrate! This series for beginning learners introduces basic facts about popular holidays from around the world, including when they happen and why. Simple, predictable text takes listeners through the traditions of each celebration, including decorations, activities, and foods. Features highlight favorite activities and important aspects of each holiday. Students just starting to learn will be ready to celebrate. This volume includes Cinco de Mayo, Groundhog Day, Holi, Memorial Day, Presidents' Day, and Valentine's Day.

Decorations made of straw cover your Christmas tree. A girl dressed in a crown of candles sings songs as she visits people’s homes. People gather together to exchange gifts called julklappar. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in Sweden. Come explore the many Swedish traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

Whether it's Halloween or just an opportune time for home theatricals, every so often an occasion calls for fake blood. But how do you make fake blood? We have the recipe.

Jesus Calling: The Story of Christmas uniquely teaches the Christmas story to your children by starting at creation and sharing that Jesus has always been present and that God has always had a plan for Christmas.

Happy Halloween! Do you think you have what it takes to listen to this entire Halloween audiobook full of spooky stories!? This is an excellent Halloween audiobook for kids who love to be spooked. Be prepared for some eerie ghost stories and spooky Halloween tales! These campfire tales are excellent for listening aloud with friends and family.

Kwanzaa is about celebrating! It honors African American heritage. Some people mark the holiday by lighting the kinara. Families and friends gather to eat a big feast. Listeners will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

A poetic and inspiring tribute to the beauty and wonder of America's history, landscape, and symbols. With wonderfully spare, deceptively simple verses, Sarvinder Naberhaus has composed a lyrical celebration of the iconic imagery of our nation, beginning with the American flag. Each spread depicts a richly evocative tableau, from the view of the Statue of Library at Ellis Island to civil rights marchers banded together, to a spacecraft at Cape Canaveral blasting off. This book is an ode to America then and now, from sea to shining sea.

Young listeners learn about the early traditions which have led to our present-day celebration of Valentine's Day.

What kind of games will you play at your birthday party? From musical chairs to sack racing, games make birthdays fun. Learn about indoor and outdoor games to play on your special day.

Have you ever wanted to make a jack o' lantern? Where do you start? You're about to learn how to make it happen, step by messy step!