Long ago, on one of the coldest nights of the year, a little fieldmouse noticed a bright star she’d never seen before. Just looking at it filled her with wonder. Where had the star come from? And why did it make her feel all fluttery inside?
Nothing can wake Grandad McAlister from his long winter nap – not a rooster, not a bouncing grandchild, not even a mariachi band!
Ari didn’t have any special talents like his sisters and brothers. He wasn’t good at singing or dancing. He couldn’t spin wool, or bake cakes, or carve wood, or play an instrument. But he did have a little box where he kept his special treasures.
Amada’s grandmother was a baker. Her little bakery was the only one in the village, and all through the year it was filled with fresh buns, and breads, and cakes, and pies. But on Christmas Eve, Amada’s grandmother made gingerbread men – one for each person in the village.