On Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve, and Coco the mouse stands beneath a tall fir tree in the forest. On this night, he tells himself, the forest needs a star for the tree top. If he climbs the tree, he can reach up and fetch one from the sky! But it's a long climb for a little mouse, and along the way, he's sure to meet other forest creatures who help or hinder him.

Anne L. Watson offers a magical fable of hope, determination, the kindness of strangers, and the wonder of Creation.

For ages 3 to 9.

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Anne L. Watson is the author and/or illustrator of a number of children's books, including the Coco Mouse and Katie Mouse books, as well as the author of numerous craft books and novels for adults. Her illustrations are imaginative collages made from photos of felted animals, miniatures, and real-life objects, along with graphic arts creations and textures from Etsy and elsewhere, all assembled and manipulated in Photoshop.

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SAMPLE

With a dizzying swoop, the bird flew all the way to the top of the tree and landed on the highest branch.

Coco climbed off. Now he could reach up and fetch a star! But when he looked up, the stars were still far above.

"The owl was right," he said sadly.

And then the bird burst into the most beautiful song Coco had ever heard.

"I didn't know a little gray bird could sing like that," Coco said.

"I'm a mockingbird," she said, "and we learn the songs of other birds. A long time ago, I heard a nightingale. That was his song."

"I am only a mouse," said Coco. "But you heard a nightingale, and I heard you." He stretched out his paws and, with a nightingale's long-ago song, he sang to the stars.