Celebrate Christmas this year with the inspiration for the beloved Jim Henson film -- back in print after over 40 years!

In 1977, when Jim Henson debuted the now-classic film Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, few knew it was based on a story written and illustrated by Russell and Lillian Hoban, creators of Bread and Jam for Frances and other treasured children's books. With an enduring score by the great Paul Williams, the movie remains a holiday tradition in homes across America. Now the book that started it all is back in print, in a beautiful gift edition that will thrill Muppets fans young and old.

Inspired by the classic tale "The Gift of the Magi," the story begins in a poor country cottage, as Emmet Otter dreams of buying Ma a piano for Christmas, while Ma dreams of buying Emmet a guitar. When a village talent contest is announced, both imagine their dreams coming true. But what they don't imagine finding is their real reward - the power of love, family, and hope in hard times.

It is a story that reaches into a reader's heart and reminds us all that fortune favors the brave.

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year

"[A] welcome reissue of the Hobans' 1971 story . . . Colorful illustrations of the close-knit animal community containplenty of warmth." —The Horn Book

RUSSELL HOBAN (1925–2011) was an American novelist and children’s writer. He achieved recognition for his popular Frances the Badger series in the 1960s, which he created with his wife, illustrator Lillian Hoban, who illustrated many of his early books. In 1980 he published Riddley Walker, the highly acclaimed, award-winning novel for which he was most renowned.
 
LILLIAN HOBAN (1925–1998) was a beloved children’s book author and illustrator. She is best known for illustrating six books about Frances the Badger, widely recognized as classics of children’s literature, in addition to her lovable I Can Read hero Arthur, a young chimpanzee, and his little sister, Violet.