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Good Intentions
Glee the Christmas Goblin follows a group of mischievous goblins who set out to save Christmas after Santa’s elves hide the children’s presents, discovering the joy of giving along the way. What draws you to write children’s literature?
Jones: Children’s stories are often where our earliest ideas about courage, kindness, and identity begin. Before children can explain those values, they can already recognize them in the characters they love.
Olivo: We wanted to create a story that encourages positive behavior without using threats, shame, or fear. Glee is mischievous, imperfect, and still learning, which makes his growth more meaningful. Children do not need perfect heroes. They need heroes who show them that making a mistake does not define you, but what you choose to do next can.
The elves hide the presents because they’re tired of watching children receive gifts. What inspired this unusual twist on the traditional Christmas story?
Olivo: We began with a question: What if the people responsible for giving Christmas presents became convinced that children had forgotten how to give? That allowed us to reverse the traditional roles. The elves, usually seen as Christmas heroes, create the problem because their disappointment leads them to make the wrong choice. Meanwhile, the goblins, who are expected to take and cause trouble, become the unlikely characters capable of putting things right. That reversal reflects something we deeply believe: people are more complex than the labels placed on them. Good intentions can still lead to poor decisions, and someone with an imperfect past can choose to do something extraordinary. In our story, Christmas is not saved by the characters who appear to be the best. It is saved by those willing to change.
How did you develop the personalities and relationships among Glee and the other goblins?
Jones: We approached the goblins as a group of imperfect friends rather than as a collection of moral examples. They have different instincts, fears, strengths, and definitions of what it means to do the right thing. Those differences naturally create humor and conflict, but they also make the group stronger. Glee became the emotional center because he is caught between the goblin he has always been and the person he is discovering he can become. His friends challenge that transformation in different ways. Some encourage him, some question him, and others would be perfectly happy returning to ordinary goblin mischief. Their relationships reflect a lesson we wanted to explore honestly: change rarely happens in isolation. The people around us can resist our growth, complicate it, or help make it possible. Friendship does not require everyone to be the same. It asks them to keep choosing one another while they learn how to become better.
If Glee could return for another adventure, what kind of Christmas or holiday trouble might he find himself in?
Olivo: Glee would probably learn the right lesson and then apply it in the most spectacularly wrong way. Perhaps he decides that if giving brings joy, the answer is to give everyone everything they could possibly want.
Jones: Soon, the workshop is empty, the sleigh is dangerously overloaded, and Christmas has become complete chaos. Glee would then have to discover that generosity is not measured by how much we give, but by how carefully we understand what another person truly needs. That feels like the heart of any future Glee adventure: a well-intentioned mistake, plenty of goblin-sized chaos, and a deeper lesson hidden somewhere inside the trouble.
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Glee the Christmas Goblin
Glee the Christmas Goblin, by Emily Jones and Fernando Olivo, gives the familiar Christmas Eve rescue story a playful twist. When Santa’s elves hide the presents because they’re tired of watching children receive gifts, Santa turns to Glee and his fellow goblins for help. The goblins initially eye the toys as treasure for themselves, but reading about the children on the Nice List changes their thinking. It’s an easy-to-follow setup with enough mischief to make this children’s book feel lively from the start.
The story’s real appeal is Glee’s change of heart. Generosity becomes something he experiences, and the other goblins make that discovery alongside him. Their delight in building toys, fulfilling wishes, and traveling with Santa gives the message a cheerful sense of momentum. Young readers can see how doing something kind creates its own kind of happiness, while the goblins’ impulsive personalities keep the lesson lighthearted.
The rhyming text is simple and direct, with short passages that should work well when read aloud. Santa’s worried reindeer, the rebellious elves, and the arrival of whole hordes of goblins give the plot an entertaining storybook bustle. The language places the theme front and center, particularly in the closing idea that taking fills pockets while giving fills hearts. That’s a memorable way to sum up the book’s view of generosity.
Rodrigo Magella’s illustrations make this picture book bright, busy, and warmly comic. Saturated reds, greens, and blues create a strong Christmas atmosphere, while the characters’ enormous shining eyes and exaggerated expressions make every emotion immediately clear. Fun background details, including scattered presents, toy-making goblins, cookie jars, and reindeer wearing name collars, reward a closer look. The parchment-style text panels also keep the rhymes readable without separating them from the action, giving the whole book the feel of an animated holiday special.
The Christmas Starfish
The Christmas Starfish by J.B. Auchter is a charming holiday tale set beneath the waters of Cape Cod Bay, where Santa makes a special delivery to the creatures who don’t live on land. He travels the ocean floor, bringing gifts to underwater homes tucked among the coral and seaweed. His final stop is a mermaid’s home, where she is still awake, still waiting, and ready with a present of her own for Santa.
The rhyming text gives the story a light, musical rhythm that feels made for reading aloud, especially during the holiday season. A memorable twist shifts the focus from Santa as the sole giver to Santa as someone who can also receive. That moment carries a gentle lesson about generosity. Kindness moves in more than one direction. Giving matters, and so does thoughtful receiving. Young readers may walk away with a clearer sense that small gestures can create real joy.
The illustrations by Ayan Mansoori are a standout. Sea creatures watching and hoping for their presents are drawn with warmth and personality, and their underwater homes look cheerful and inviting. Bright plants and coral fill each scene, building an imaginative, lively ocean world. Inside the mermaid’s home, details shine, a beautifully decorated tree, a cozy interior, and even a sleeping “mer-cat.” Those small touches add charm and whimsy to an already quirky holiday concept.
The Christmas Starfish is a sweet, festive addition to any holiday reading collection. It works beautifully as a read-aloud. It also offers substance beyond the sparkle, delivering a meaningful message about generosity, kindness, and the simple joy of sharing.
Pages: 24 | ASIN : B0GD8W48JH
The Elf Who Didn’t Believe in Children
The Elf Who Didn’t Believe in Children follows Flossy, an elf who lives at the North Pole. She carries a sharper edge than the cheerful, happy-go-lucky elves around her. They wear festive greens and reds. Flossy goes darker. She works just as hard as anyone in the workshop, yet she can’t shake one unsettling belief. The toys aren’t going to children. In fact, Flossy doesn’t believe children exist at all. Then she finds a letter, supposedly written by a child, claiming the opposite. The child insists it’s the elves who aren’t real. That single message knocks the foundation out from under Flossy and sends her into a spiral of doubt. Everything she “knew” starts to look flimsy.
The Elf Who Didn’t Believe in Children, by Sara Madden, is a children’s book that feels best suited to slightly older kids, readers who have outgrown the simplest storylines, and can handle themes with a little bite and complexity. Some children’s books rely on art to carry the experience. Not here. The prose and illustrations work in tandem, each strengthening the other. The story stays close to Flossy’s perspective, which makes her voice stand out. She reads like a riot girl elf. Suspicious. Self-possessed. Unmoved by tradition. Sara Madden leans into that contrast and makes it sing, shaping Flossy into a confident girl-boss figure who trusts only what she can observe for herself.
As Flossy starts to entertain the idea that children might be real, the plot opens into something deeper. Her doubt spreads. One question becomes many. If she’s wrong about this, what else has she accepted without thinking? That shift turns the story into an invitation to stay flexible and curious. To revise beliefs when facts change. To loosen the grip of a rigid worldview. That lesson doesn’t show up often in children’s books, and it lands with real force here.
The Elf Who Didn’t Believe in Children is a picture book that nudges kids to reconsider what they’ve been told, especially when new evidence appears, and deserves attention. In this case, I think the theme elevates the entire book. The result is a children’s story that succeeds on every level and has the makings of a fresh, new holiday favorite.
Pages: 55 | ASIN : B0BMM8YLLY
Peaches and Jake Celebrate Christmas
Peaches and Jake Celebrate Christmas is a sweet little story about two rescue pups waking up on Christmas morning to discover the surprises Santa left them under the tree. They each get giant bones and then two toys, a moose for Jake and a fox for Peaches, and the rest of the day unfolds with the dogs learning what to do with their gifts. Jake destroys his moose with pure joy, Peaches figures out that Foxie makes a perfect nap buddy, and their mom watches over the whole thing with so much love. It feels like flipping through a family photo album where every picture tells its own tiny story.
There is a softness to the writing that feels like someone talking to me from their couch with their dogs at their feet. The real photos of Peaches and Jake add charm because they are so expressive. I kept giggling at Peaches trying to figure out Foxie. And the whole saga of Moosie slowly losing limbs and stuffing had me cracking up. There is something sweet about how Jake loves that toy even when it becomes a little fabric scrap. It says a lot about how dogs attach meaning to things and how we do the same sometimes without even realizing it.
I also liked how the book shows the two dogs having such different personalities. Jake barrels into Christmas like it is the best day of the year. Peaches moves carefully and watches everyone else first. It reminded me of how different pets can be, even when they grow up in the same home. The photos on almost every page make it easy to stay engaged. Honestly, it felt a little like being invited into the author’s living room to watch a memory replay itself.
I think this picture book is perfect for young kids who like animals and for grown-ups who just want something soft and happy to read. It is especially lovely for dog lovers or anyone who enjoys holiday stories that feel real and cozy. If you want a children’s book that brings a smile without trying too hard, this one is a great choice. It is playful, sweet, and full of genuine affection, and that makes it a wonderful holiday read for families.
Pages: 48 | ASIN : B0DFDWN1SN
A Magical Journey to Save Christmas
In A Magical Journey to Save Christmas, author C.D. McKaig delivers a delightfully original tale that blends familiar holiday charm with an unexpected twist. The story opens with Santa abruptly awakened from a nap. Christmas preparations are behind schedule, and the elves need reinforcements. An elder elf proposes seeking help from Ireland’s leprechauns, who, like elves, are small in stature but rich in craft.
Across the sea, however, the leprechauns face their own crisis. A new rainbow-making machine has disrupted their gold production, leaving them out of work and searching for purpose. As the two magical communities unite, what follows is a heartwarming collaboration. Together, they harness their unique talents to manufacture toys and rescue Christmas from the brink of disaster.
What sets this story apart is its fresh narrative. While countless holiday tales spotlight elves saving the season, McKaig turns the spotlight toward the leprechauns, an inspired and welcome twist. The cooperation between the two groups not only saves Christmas but also finds a clever solution to the leprechauns’ gold dilemma.
The visual storytelling enhances the experience tenfold. Vivid, cartoon-like illustrations leap from the page, immersing readers in a world brimming with color, character, and holiday wonder. One particularly imaginative moment sees reindeer transporting a rainbow back to the North Pole, a magical detail that captures the story’s inventive spirit.
A Magical Journey to Save Christmas sends young readers a meaningful message: teamwork, adaptability, and the power of combining strengths. The ending suggests this new partnership between elves and leprechauns may become a cherished Christmas tradition, one that young readers will be eager to revisit year after year.
Pages: 32 | ISBN : 978-1-998753-43-7
Laughter and Joy
Mr. Nap A. Lot’s Merry Christmas Adventure follows a man strolling through the streets observing the Christmas magic present in the families he sees. What was the inspiration for your story?
The inspiration for Mr. Nap A. Lot’s Merry Christmas Adventure comes from a long-standing saying in my home for over 20 years. It started with my husband, the real Mr. Nap A. Lot, and his way of explaining Christmas to our kids. His belief that “the spirit of Christmas lives in us all” has always touched me deeply. This heartfelt sentiment sparked the idea for the story, capturing the magic of Christmas through the eyes of a Mr. Nap A. Lot strolling through the streets and observing the joy in the families he sees.
Christmas is my favorite time of year, not for the gifts but for being with family and friends. What comes to mind when you think of Christmas Magic in your own life?
Christmas is my favorite time of year, and when I think of Christmas Magic in my life, I think of the love shared, the stories told, and the memories made. The air feels magical as we prepare for the Holiday Season. It’s truly a time to believe in something bigger than ourselves. I’ve always noticed how people come alive during this season, filling rooms with laughter and joy. There’s something about the lights, the evergreen smell, the fireplaces, the family togetherness, the freshly baked goods, and the sound of children laughing – all of these ingredients make Christmas so memorable for me.
What was your favorite scene in this story?
I have so many favorite scenes from beginning to end, but the one where he finds love and the magic of Christmas sets his spirit free is my absolute favorite. I also can’t help but cherish the moments where he witnesses kindness and selfless giving. Finding the true meaning of Christmas is another favorite scene, making it a tough choice. Every time I re-read the book, it feels like a toss-up between these wonderful moments.
I hope the Interesting Tales series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
Thank you! I hope the Interesting Tales series continues as well. I initially planned for six books in the series, so I’m thrilled it’s continuing to grow. This series is one of my favorites because it allowed me to have fun and not set boundaries. I want kids to gain a love for reading, and if one of my stories can do that, I’ve done my job. This series has given me so much joy and has allowed me to be a kid at heart. I have five new books already written, each covering new and funny events about families, animals, and another fun holiday. I’m continuously inspired to add to this series and take readers on delightful journeys. For an author, I think the best ingredient is inspiration, and that’s all I can ask for.
I can say that the Interesting Tales collection has three more books written and ready for release in 2025, all aimed at continuing the tradition of bringing imaginative and clever stories to young audiences.
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Mr. Nap A. Lot returns for a captivating Christmas adventure, a whimsical tale that beautifully captures the true spirit of the season. Join him on a heartwarming journey that will spark the Christmas magic within you. This delightful story, sprinkled with simple rhymes, is perfect for readers of all ages. So, cozy up and let the enchantment of Christmas unfold in the most whimsical way!
Santa’s Magical Reindeer: Becoming Pen Pals
Michele Monaco delivers a touching narrative that brings the essence of friendship and holiday cheer to life in Santa’s Magical Reindeer: Becoming Pen Pals. This charming children’s book weaves a tale of three of Santa’s reindeer—Prancer, Vixen, and Dasher—as they set off on an adventure to find new friends to write to. Their quest brings them to a quaint street in Pennsylvania, where they stumble upon three spirited sisters engrossed in play. Captivated by the girls’ unique charm, the reindeer watch from afar before leaving behind personalized notes, igniting an exchange of lively, decorated letters and the start of an endearing pen pal exchange.
Monaco’s creation is a seasonal picture book that plunges young readers into the heart of Christmas, urging them to embrace their artistic side and express themselves uniquely. The art of letter writing, featured prominently here, is presented as a fun way to hone writing abilities and stretch the imagination. Monaco’s storytelling is accessible and vivid, making this book a top pick for family storytime. The bonds between the characters, their cheerful pursuit of new friendships, and their embodiment of warmth and generosity provide an excellent example for young minds.
The sisters and their reindeer friends are portrayed as lovable and considerate, setting the stage for lessons in compassion and goodwill. Coupled with illustrations that bring the story’s vivid scenes and emotions to life, Santa’s Magical Reindeer: Becoming Pen Pals is an entertaining read and a tool for nurturing young readers’ emotional intelligence. It’s a festive children’s book that captures the enchantment of Christmas and the joy of forming new bonds, ideal for sparking a love of reading and social interaction in children.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B0CLNJ64J7
