Tomie DePaola

Lucinda is unhappy because she has ruined the blanket that was intended for use in a Christmas procession. In Mexico, the poinsettia is called flor de la Nochebuenao flower ofthe Holy Night. At Christmastime, the flower blooms and flourishes, the quite exquisitered stars lighting up the countryside. A Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia came to be, through a little girl's unselfishgift to the Christ Child. Tomie dePaola has embraced the legend...

When a new girl in the Barkers' class, Carole Anne, acts like a bully, the students try talking to her and ignoring her until Morgie finally discovers what is wrong and finds a way to fix it.

Bossy Moffie and her quiet twin brother Morgie both enjoy starting school, especially getting gold stars and making new friends.

Twins Moffie and Morgie are excited when they hear that their family is adopting a three-year-old Hispanic boy.

When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.

After helping Strega Nona plant her vegetable garden just so, Big Anthony takes some extra seeds and sows another garden willy nilly, then must find a way to deal with the consequences.

While observing the busy world around them, two children and their grandfather take a moment to appreciate being quiet and still.

Big Anthony plans a surprise Christmas party for Strega Nona. "It's Christmas time in Calabria and with Strega Nona's annual feast around the corner, she has no time for her usual magical tasks. Christmas has a magic of its own, and no one knows magic like Strega Nona does, especially Big Anthony. But with the clock ticking on her preparations, will Big Anthony finally be able to prove that he can be counted on with some magic of his own?"--

A knight who has never fought a dragon and an equally inexperienced dragon prepare to meet each other in battle.

A retelling of the Comanche Indian legend of how a little girl's sacrifice brought the flower called bluebonnet to Texas.