Holiday Nonfiction

Birthdays are full of streamers, balloons, and presents. Get ready to celebrate in C Is for Cake!

It’s time to celebrate Christmas. There’s so much to do! Make cookies and decorate the Christmas tree. Have dinner with your family. Exchange presents. This important Christian holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

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.

Thomas's recording of this holiday classic is considered the first official audiobook. You'll hear the author's recollection of a holiday in the seaside town of his youth as well as some of his most celebrated poems, including "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night."

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

Young listeners learn about the early traditions which have led to our present-day celebration of Halloween.

In this compilation of six Christmas themes, you will learn about: The story of Advent; the history of the first Christmas; the story of celebrating the Nativity; the importance of the Twelve Days of Christmas; the origins of Christmas customs; and the different Christmas traditions around the world.

In 1620, the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and made friends with Wampanoag people who gave them corn. RIGHT? WRONG! It was months before the Pilgrims met any Wampanoag people, and nobody gave anybody corn that day.

Young listeners learn about the early traditions which have led to our present-day celebration of Christmas.

Discover the moving, true story of the Native American named Squanto, who is captured from his beloved Pawtuxet tribe, taken to Spain, and sold into slavery. Years later, Squanto regains his freedom and embarks on a miraculous journey back to his homeland where he teaches the Pilgrims how to survive the difficult early years in the Plymouth colony - culminating in the first Thanksgiving celebration.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrates the life of the civil rights movement leader. Some people observe the day by singing, reading, or watching movies about him. Others volunteer in their community or make peace-inspired crafts. Listeners will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

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!

How many candles will be on your birthday cake this year? What flavor of cake will you eat? Learn all about cakes you can enjoy on your special day.

Washington Irving published The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in 1820, introducing the eerie Headless Horseman character to readers worldwide. Readers were both scared and intrigued by the horrific character, who is the ghost of a soldier who had been decapitated during the American Revolution. Now, the character is an American classic, featured in movies, television shows, cartoons, comic books, and even video games, thanks to his chilling story of a lone horseman seeking revenge.

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.

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.

Christmas Day is a time of celebration for many people all around the world. Those who celebrate it see it as a joyous time. But Christmas is celebrated in many different ways in different countries. One country has a feast known as "reveillon". In another country people like to go to the beach on Christmas Day! Can you guess which countries these are?

Young listeners learn about the early traditions which have led to our present-day celebration of Thanksgiving.

Spooky ghouls greet guests, chattering skeletons stalk the streets, and blazing jack-o'-lanterns light up the night. It must be Halloween! This chilling collection of fun, creepy scenes contains hundreds of hidden items. Are you up to the challenge? Put your seeking skills to the test with Halloween Hunt.

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.