Tales from Kris & Holly, Vol. 1 is available for purchase!
Kris & Holly are proud to present original Christmas stories written by Michael Sheinbaum and illustrated by Elena Rogers.
We are so excited to present Tales from Kris & Holly, Vol. 1. This first collection of original tales & letters features three original stories written by Kris & Holly’s Michael Sheinbaum: The Elves Indoors, Koosh the Elf, and The Grandchildren. These original stories have been shared for as long as we’ve been entertaining children. Each tale is introduced by real letters Michael has received and responded to as Santa over the last several years. This volume features the gorgeous watercolor illustrations of Vinnytsia Ukrainian artist Elena Rogers, along with a few surprises.
Animated versions of Koosh the Elf and The Grandchildren are coming soon! Until then, let’s look at the tales!
Koosh the Elf
Every robotic rabbit, every dust-covered yeti,/Were tidied by Koosh and her bag of confetti.
Koosh the Elf - (c) 2021 Kris & Holly
A particular elf gets a particular Task….
Glitter has littered the workshop, and Santa knows just who to put on the case! Koosh the Elf tells the tale of a well-intentioned, yet easily distracted elf in a whimsical tale with a surprise ending.
The Elves Indoors
It was then that young Ginger was greatly inspired/as she looked at the wood burning bright in the fire.
The Elves Indoors (c) 2020 Kris & Holly
Not a soul had expected the Storm of ‘02….
The Elves Indoors was written at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when Michael Sheinbaum wanted to relay an encouraging Christmas tale in a magical world of immortal beings that never got sick, yet faced its own similar problems. A historic snowstorm serves as a metaphor where Santa has to keep all of the elves at home and away from the toy shop they love. It takes the dedication and ingenuity of one elf to keep the toy making going and inspire the rest of the elves. The Elves Indoors was first published in 2020 with the brilliant artwork of Leah Stoogenke. The entire work has been redrawn by Elena Rogers for consistency with the rest of the stories, rewritten in anapestic tetrameter (like Night Before Christmas), and remains a deeply meaningful tale for challenging times.
The Grandchildren
‘To the field! To the field where your grandfather glows! To the sleigh before midnight, before they all go!
The Grandchildren - (c) 2021 Kris & Holly
While we wait for my crew, may I share of my pride?
One of Kris’ most popular stories during his visits features the Grandchildren, each who have a glowing nose just like their grandfather. Only their noses are all sorts of colors from lemon yellow to all of the hues from the Aurora Borealis. And every year, they do something special for their grandfather for whom they are so very proud.
Real Letters between Children and Santa!
Since 2020, Michael (Kris) has worked with the Upper Merion (PA) Police Department to collect, reply, and deliver correspondence between the local children and Santa. Through the generous permission of some of the parents, we are able to share ten of those letters. We believe you’ll find them both delightful to read in themselves and a great introduction to each of the stories.
Order a copy of Tales from Kris & Holly, Vol. 1 today!
About the Author
Michael Sheinbaum has always told stories. As a teenager, he spent his summers publishing the camp newspaper while writing video game reviews for a national magazine. In the late 90’s, he was a minor internet celebrity turning the day’s news into haiku. And over the past 10 years as a professional real-bearded Santa Claus, Michael has delighted children with his quick wit and imagination. All the while, he created stories.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Michael published his first book, The Elves Indoors. He hired artist Leah Stoogenke to illustrate a poem he had written about a terrible storm that kept all of the Christmas Elves in their homes. That book raised hundreds of dollars toward providing PPE materials for frontline healthcare workers.
In 2023, he incorporated The Elves Indoors, along with two more stories (Koosh the Elf and The Grandchildren) into a collection of short stories titled Tales from Kris & Holly vol. 1. The book had begun generation as Russia had begun its invasion into Ukraine. So Michael selected Ukrainian artist Elena Rogers and pledged that half of the money raised from these books would be donated to President Zelenskyy’s United 24. These stories are introduced by actual letters Michael has received as Santa from children throughout Upper Merion, Pennsylvania. It is Michael’s hope that this book will both enable his stories to be shared throughout the world and aid Ukraine in its ongoing struggles.
(By the way, if you’re wondering why Michael’s name isn’t on the cover, it’s because we are using actual letters from children who may wonder how some local bearded guy got access to their letters to Santa. We take our magic seriously here at Kris & Holly.)
About the Illustrator
Elena Rogers is an illustrator and dollmaker from Vinnytsia, Ukraine.
She comes from a family of artists, so drawing is what she knows best and loves.
Elena studied and graduated from art school, and studied at the University to become a designer. She’s also put as many dolls and teddy bears into homes throughout the world as most Christmas elves.
”What I love most is realizing the dreams of my customers and receiving books with my illustrations from them!”
Our causes:
Tales from Kris & Holly, Vol. 1 follows K&H’s tradition of donating half of the proceeds from our books to a worthy cause. With Vol. 1, we pledge half of the money raised from this book to United 24, helping Ukraine both defend and rebuild. If you’d like to donate to this cause, please visit: u24.gov.ua
The primary font for Tales from Kris & Holly, Vol. 1 is OpenDyslexic 3.0, which has weighted bottoms on the letters that can be easier for readers with Dyslexia. We encourage you to visit OpenDyslexic.org to support their efforts.
Gadzooks, you’ve gotten this far down the page and haven’t ordered a copy? By all means, click this link for your copy of Tales from Kris & Holly, Vol. 1 today!