Washoe County Library System

Taking a mouse to the movies can lead to letting him do other things, such as making a snowman, listening to Christmas carols, and decorating the Christmas tree.

Kind Ox welcomes Old Dog, Stray Cat, Small Mouse, Tired Donkey, and finally the baby Jesus into his stable on the first Christmas night.

Told in the present tense, each story becomes a glimpse of other, often lonely, lives at holiday time. These protagonists are, for the most part, outsiders looking in at more traditional families and their celebrations. One story, for instance, is of Mae, a homeless woman, who walks with her dogs through the pre-Christmas bustle of shoppers, unseen by most. She is sick and can't remember where the sick place is that they once took her to. She almost...

Rudolph the reindeer, who has an unusual nose, is teased by the other reindeer until his unique trait saves Santa's trip on a foggy Christmas Eve.