New Releases by Lisa Sferlazza Johnson

Suffering from the winter blues, Eve the fairy decides to explore the different winter rituals that humans celebrate, including Diwali, Hanukkah, St. Lucia''s Day, Advent/Christmas, Los Posadas, Kwanzaa, and Chinese New Year.

This fresh take on Christmas traditions follows Eve, the enchanting toy-making fairy, as she leaves her pumpkin patch and heads to the North Pole, where Santa''s elves have come down with a nasty case of Elfpox. Eve is delighted to lend a magical hand and help Santa do the elves'' work, but she is unsure of her abilities--she can only create small toys. After learning about the first Christmas and getting a few history lessons from the Mrs. Claus, Eve begins to understand that it''s not the size of the gift but rather the love that inspires the presents that counts. Once Eve gets hooked on the "Joy of Giving," she infuses every pint-sized toy with feeling and is given the distinguished title of "Christmas Eve." Providing adults with a new explanation of Christmas traditions, this story helps children understand that, sometimes, less is more.

A pinch of modern fairy dust is sprinkled on Halloween traditions in this playful, ghoul- and goblin-free introduction to the holiday. Eve, a young fairy from the All Hallows pumpkin patch, loves candy but is unable to make it--she can only create toys with her magic. Eve determinedly practices her spells, hoping she''ll be able to magic up candy on her birthday, October 31st. During her dress-up birthday party, Eve''s finest attempts yield only candy-shaped toys--such as candy bar blocks, candy cane whistles, and squeaky toy cakes. As her frustration grows, her party guests save the day by visiting all the pumpkins in the patch and collecting candy to fulfill Eve''s wish. Overjoyed by their kindness, Eve gratefully offers the toys she created to her friends. A tale of friendship, cooperation, and self-acceptance, this story also provides health-conscious families and those with specific dietary concerns an alternative way to enjoy the holiday activities.