Celebrate
Christmas with the inspiration for the beloved Jim Henson film - in print after over 40 years.

In 1977, when Jim Henson debuted the now-classic film Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas,
few knew it was based on a story written and illustrated by Russell and
Lillian Hoban, creators of Bread and Jam for
Frances and other treasured children’s books. With
an enduring score by the great Paul Williams, the movie remains a holiday
tradition in homes across America. Now the book that started it all is back
in print, in a beautiful gift edition that will thrill Muppets fans young and
old.

Inspired by the classic tale The Gift of the Magi, the story
begins in a poor country cottage, as Emmet Otter dreams of buying Ma a piano
for Christmas, while Ma dreams of buying Emmet a guitar. When a village
talent contest is announced, both imagine their dreams coming true. But what
they don’t imagine finding is their real reward - the power of love, family,
and hope in hard times.

It is a story that reaches into a reader’s heart
and reminds us all that fortune favors the brave.

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year

[A] welcome reissue of the Hobans’ 1971 story … Colorful
illustrations of the close-knit animal community contain plenty of
warmth. -The Horn Book