Holiday Classics

Come along on the dramatic journey that tells about God's incredible love for us! Especially designed for kids to enjoy the miraculous story of Christmas! Includes the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus' birth, featuring the well-loved Holman Christian Standard Bible text. Celebrate the very first Christmas gift as you engage in listening that lasts a lifetime!

Frank Pettingell reads the classic Christmas tale.

This is story of Santa's visit on a snowy Christmas Eve, beautifully brought to life with festive music.

Basil Rathbone stars in this staged version of Dicken's A Christmas Carol.

Jim and Della are a poor couple, struggling to make ends meet. When the holidays roll around, Jim decides to sell his most prized possession to give his beloved the gift of her dreams. Della does the same for Jim, much to the surprise of the other. O. Henry's classic tale of sacrifice and true love rings in this wonderful season of hope and happiness in an unforgettable way.

"A Kidnapped Santa Claus" is a Christmas-themed short story by American writer L. Frank Baum, the author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"; it has been called "one of Baum's most beautiful stories".The story opens with a quick overview of Santa's castle in the Laughing Valley. Its focus soon switches to the five Caves of the Daemons in nearby mountains. These creatures are pagan daemons rather than Christian demons, in that they are not servants of Satan or necessarily evil.

Here is the preface to 12 magnificent stories, originally part of The John Cheever Audio Collection, in which John Cheever celebrates - with unequaled grace and tenderness - the deepest feelings we have.

Corduroy is excited to celebrate Christmas! To get ready, he decorates his tree, bakes cookies, and wraps presents. When the snow starts falling on Christmas Eve, Corduroy hangs up his stocking and leaves a note for Santa. Merry Christmas, Corduroy!

In Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale, a little fir tree realizes too late that it did not appreciate the grand moments of life - the majesty of the forest, the dazzling grandeur of its night as a Christmas tree - while they were happening...

Exquisite watercolors enhance this charming tale of two friends who are different in many ways yet alike in their devotion to each other. It's Toot's birthday and Puddle is having some trouble picking out a gift. Will he be able to find the perfect present?

Few winter stories are more affecting than Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl. Written in 1848, and strictly speaking a New Year's Eve story, it showed so clearly then, as it does now, that the Christmas holidays do not represent fireside, food, and presents for all. This story never fails to move, yet it somehow avoids serious sentimentality.

When an ugly duckling flies away from home to escape from teasing words, she begins the adventure of a lifetime. But when she returns to central park in Spring, she discovers she has transformed into a beautiful swan.

Peter, the naughty rabbit, helps himself to the crops from Mr. MacGregor's garden, to the dismay of all.

On a cold New Year's Eve, a young, poor girl tries to sell matches in the street. She is already shivering from cold. She shelters in a nook and sits down. The girl lights the matches to warm herself. In their glow she sees several lovely visions, including a Christmas tree and a holiday feast. The girl looks skyward and sees a shooting star; she then remembers her grandmother saying that such a falling star means someone is dying and is going to Heaven. As she lights the next match, she sees a vision of her grandmother, the only person to have treated her with love and kindness. She strikes one match after another to keep the vision of her grandmother alive for as long as she can.

A Noël, Clara reçoit un magnifique cadeau de son oncle : un casse-noisette. Mais Fritz, jaloux, brise le cadeau. La nuit venue, Clara décide d'aller voir son pauvre casse-noisette brisé dans l'armoire et voilà qu'il est devenu un prince ! Le prince emmène Clara en voyage autour du monde mais surtout au pays des fleurs, des glaces et même des bonbons, rencontrer la fée Dragée et la reine des neiges.

E' una vigilia di Natale fredda, anzi ghiacciata, perchè nell'ufficio del Signor Scrooge, non si accende il camino, costa troppo. Il suo contabile, il signor Bob, ha le dita intirizzite, ma Scrooge non ammette lamentele, non gli importa di quell'uomo; lavora per lui ma non vuole sapere niente della sua vita...

L'histoire se déroule la veille du jour de l'an ; une petite marchande d'allumettes en guenille erre dans les rues enneigées sans trouver aucun acheteur.

This is a first person narrative from Saint Nicholas' point of view of the Christmas classic. The line about his pipe has been deleted (he gave it up when it was learned to be a health hazard). A few words have also been updated. (How many people today know what "sugar plums" or "coarsers" are? How many use the word "droll"?)

Acclaimed poet Robert Frost provides this short poem that reminds us that when it comes to Christmas, maybe money shouldn't be our top priority. Some things may be worth more than a few extra dollars. A feel-good non-rhyming poem story that may help put some perspective in the pageantry.

These holiday poems by celebrated authors evoke a range of deep emotions. Dive in, and savor.