This heartwarming book focuses on the secular aspects of a family Christmas; spending time with loved ones, anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus, decorating the tree and home, cooking and feasting, caroling, exchanging gifts, and all the other delights that we associate with the magic of the holiday season. Children and adults alike will love exploring the origin, history, and meaning of popular Christmas traditions, as well as reading and listening to timeless Christmas stories. Included in this treasury are excerpts from such classics as Dickens' A Christmas Carol and E.T.A. Hoffman's The Nutcracker, while other selections--including those from Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frank Baum, and many others--appear in their entirety. Whether the family faithfully returns to such well-known and well-loved stories as William Dean Howell's Christmas Every Day, or whether they eagerly devour the lesser known gems, such as Ntozake Shange'a Christmas for Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo, Family Christmas Treasures: A Celebration of Art and Stories is sure to warm their hearts. Accompanying these texts is a collection of exquisite art in full-page, full-color format. Ranging from classic to modern, included are the imaginative creations of such esteemed artists as Norman Rockwell, Grandma Moses, Thomas Nast, N. C. Wyeth, Andy Warhol, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and many others

This anthology of text and images was organized by Kacey Barron, an editor at Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, Inc.