Stephanie S. Tolan

Bartholomew is a very small mouse who is used to being completely ignored by the larger animals in his world. On one quiet, snowy night, his ordinary life is interrupted when a beautiful angel appears right at his door. The glowing visitor brings a special invitation for Bartholomew to travel to Bethlehem and be blessed by a newborn prince. The tiny mouse can hardly believe his ears. He feels far too small and unimportant to be worthy of such a massive honor from a real king. Determined to show his respect, Bartholomew begins a frantic search to find the absolute perfect gift to bring to the manger. Along the way, he joins a gentle fox, and the two travel together through the cold night. When Bartholomew finally reaches the baby, he discovers that true value has nothing to do with size. He learns a beautiful truth about himself while standing in the warm, welcoming light of a very special baby's smile.

Third-grader Max is having a terrible year. He is struggling to handle his parents' recent divorce, navigating a strange new school, and constantly dodging a massive neighborhood bully named Nick. To escape the stress, Max constantly runs away in his own imagination. In his mind, he is the proud owner of a heroic, fearless dog named King. Together, they slay dragons, conquer aliens, and embarrass Nick so badly he never bothers Max again. One afternoon, Max stumbles upon a mysterious little store called Wishworks, Inc., which guarantees that any wish will come true in real life. Desperate for a friend, Max wishes for a dog exactly like King. The next day, a real dog named Goldie appears right on his doorstep. But Goldie is not a fierce dragon-slayer, she is a sweet, ordinary dog who requires actual work, training, and patience. Max must learn that a real, imperfect friend might be exactly what he needs to face his real-world problems.

Sophie has a very specific goal in mind. For weeks, she has been saving every single penny she can find, desperate to buy a beautiful, one-of-a-kind stuffed hedgehog sitting in the local toy store window. She carefully counts her coins, knowing that she is finally getting close to having enough money to bring her dream toy home. But as she walks down the street one chilly afternoon, she notices a homeless man sitting quietly on the sidewalk. He looks hungry and incredibly cold. Suddenly, the money burning a hole in Sophie's pocket feels different. She is torn between the deep desire to finally get the toy she has worked so hard for and the overwhelming feeling of compassion for a person in need. Sophie must make a difficult decision about what truly matters most. Following her conscience, she learns a powerful, quiet lesson about the true value of money and the lasting warmth of a selfless act.

A cruel and greedy lord demands everything beautiful for himself. When he spots a magnificent mandarin drake with brightly colored feathers, he captures the bird and locks it away in a cage. But the beautiful drake is completely miserable without his mate, refusing to eat or sing in his lonely prison. Seeing the bird's deep sorrow, a kindhearted kitchen maid and a gentle samurai take pity on the drake. They know the lord will be furious, but they bravely risk their own lives and freedom to release the bird so he can return to his mate. When the lord discovers their betrayal, he sentences the couple to a terrible punishment. Just when all hope seems lost, two mysterious strangers arrive to help the brave couple, proving that acts of true compassion are always rewarded.