Our December Monthly Staff Pick(s) Have Arrived!

The holiday shopping season is here, albeit a little delayed this year! Slow things down and give yourself a moment amid the rush with our, not one but, two Monthly Staff Picks this December. Our Selections both feature smaller sized pieces that provide the perfect spot of reading respite.

‘Life’s Short, Talk Fast’ is a collection of essays, edited by Ann Hood, that has writers celebrating, reminiscing, and dissecting their relationships with the beloved and binged television classic ‘Gilmore Girls’.

And ‘Christmas and Other Horrors’ brings together favorite authors like Garth Nix, Cassandra Khaw, and Stephen Graham Jones for a collection of short horror stories that center around just about any winter holiday you can think of.

These final picks of the year also make great gifts for, perhaps, slightly harder to shop for gift recipients and are available for 20% off through the month of December, while supplies last.

We hope to see you for more Monthly Staff Pick fun in the New Year!

• Life's Short, Talk Fast: Fifteen Writers on Why We Can't Stop Watching Gilmore Girls (An Unauthorized)

  Fast-talking, warm-hearted, and endlessly rewatchable, Gilmore Girls has bonded real-life mothers and daughters since 2000, when its iconic pilot introduced us to Lorelai, Rory, and their idyllic Connecticut town of Stars Hollow. More than twenty years later, it has become one of the most-streamed TV shows, ever.

  In an anthology as intimate and quick-witted as Gilmore Girls itself, best-selling author Ann Hood invites fifteen writers to investigate their personal relationships to the show. ("It's a show? It's a lifestyle. It's a religion.") Joanna Rakoff considers how Emily Gilmore helped her understand her own mother; Sanjena Sathian sees herself--and Asian American defiance--in Lane Kim; Freya North connects with her son through the show; Francesco Sedita discovers an antidote to pandemic loneliness; Nina de Gramont offers a comic ode to the unreality of Stars Hollow. For anyone who identifies as Team Logan, Team Jess, or even Team Dean, Life's Short, Talk Fast reveals what Gilmore Girls tells us about ourselves--and why it matters.

  This publication has not been prepared, approved, or licensed by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.; Warner Bros Television; or any other entity or individual associated with the creation or production of Gilmore Girls.

• Christmas and Other Horrors: A Winter Solstice Anthology

  Hugo Award winning editor, and horror legend, Ellen Datlow presents this chilling horror anthology of 18 original short stories exploring the endless terrors of winter solstice traditions across the globe, featuring chillers by Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu and many more.

  The winter solstice is celebrated as a time of joy around the world--yet the long nights also conjure a darker tradition of ghouls, hauntings, and visitations. This anthology of all-new stories invites you to huddle around the fire and revel in the unholy, the dangerous, the horrific aspects of a
  time when families and friends come
  together--for better and for worse.

  From the eerie Austrian Schnabelperchten to the skeletal Welsh Mari Lwyd, by way of ravenous golems, uncanny neighbors, and unwelcome visitors, Christmas and Other Horrors captures the heart and horror of the festive season.

  Because the weather outside is frightful, but the fire inside is hungry...

  Featuring stories from:

  Nadia Bulkin
  Terry Dowling
  Tananarive Due
  Jeffrey Ford
  Christopher Golden
  Stephen Graham Jones
  Glen Hirshberg
  Richard Kadrey
  Alma Katsu
  Cassandra Khaw
  John Langan
  Josh Malerman
  Nick Mamatas
  Garth Nix
  Benjamin Percy
  M. Rickert
  Kaaron Warren

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Monthly Staff Picks | December 2024

Let's start the holiday season strong... Join us for Melissa & Doug Month!

All Melissa & Doug products are 20% off for the entire month of October! It’s a great time to stock up as we start the holiday shopping season and as always, we’re thrilled to gift wrap your purchase absolutely free!

Here are a few of our favorite products this season.

• Melissa & Doug Cutting Fruit Set Ages 3+

  • CREATIVE CUTTING FRUIT SET: The Melissa & Doug Cutting Fruit Set is a 17-piece play-food set with a wooden knife. The beautifully painted pieces feature realistic details.

  • ATTRACTIVE WOODEN CRATE: This Cutting Fruit Set for kids includes an attractive wooden crate that stores all the pieces for convenient travel and organization.

  • TEACHES CONCEPTS OF PART AND WHOLE: Our food set features self-stick tabs that hold pieces together and “slice” apart with a satisfying crunch sound. It helps teach children the concepts of part and whole for early math-development skills.

  • GIFT FOR KIDS 3 TO 5: This Cutting Fruit Set is an ideal gift for kids ages 3 to 5 years. Add the Melissa & Doug Play Time Produce Fruit Play Food Set to round out the pretend play experience and give kids an engaging option for screen-free fun.

  • “THE GOLD STANDARD IN CHILDHOOD PLAY”: For more than 30 years, Melissa & Doug has created beautifully designed imagination- and creativity-sparking products that NBC News called “the gold standard in early childhood play.”

• Melissa & Doug Toy Shopping Cart Ages 3+ | Demo In-Store

  • SMOOTH-ROLLING MINI SHOPPING CART: This mini shopping cart features front, spring-loaded safety wheels that pivot 360 degrees, which permits it to roll easily on multiple surfaces inside the home.

  • Made to last: the Melissa and Doug toy shopping cart with sturdy metal frame is made from heavy-gauge steel construction that makes it look and feel Just like the real thing.

  • Handy features for kids: Our shopping cart includes multiple kid-friendly features such as easy-grip handles that let kids push the cart from aisle to aisle, and a fold-open seat for a doll or stuffed animal passenger to go on pretend shopping trips.

  • Great gift for ages 3-6: the toy shopping cart with sturdy metal frame makes a great gift for kids ages 3 and up. Add the Melissa and Doug Let's play house. Grocery shelf boxes to round out the hands-on, screen-free, pretend shopping experience. This cart will work on sidewalks or residential streets

  • “The gold standard in childhood play”: for more than 30 years, Melissa and Doug has created beautifully designed imagination- and creativity-sparking products that nbc news calls “The gold standard in early childhood play. ”

  • Adult assembly required

• Melissa & Doug Wooden Chef’s Pretend Play Toy Kitchen Charcoal Gray Ages 3+ | Demo In-Store

  • COMPLETE WOODEN PLAY KITCHEN: The Melissa & Doug Wooden Chef’s Pretend Play Toy Kitchen includes oven, stove, microwave, sink, refrigerator with working “ice” dispenser, and freezer

  • DURABLE PRETEND PLAY KITCHEN: The Melissa & Doug Chef’s Kitchen is a durable, wooden play kitchen with ample storage space for easy cleanup

  • INNOVATIVE TOY KITCHEN FOR KIDS: The innovative ice maker dispenses two included "ice” cubes, dials turn, microwave plate spins; includes grocery checklist, movable hooks, and doors that open and close

  • EASY TO ASSEMBLE: Our toy kitchen with “ice” cube dispenser is roomy enough for multiple kids to play at once. This kids play kitchen is ideal for kitchen accessory play sets, pretend food collections, and play pantry products

  • GREAT GIFT FOR AGES 3 AND UP: The Wooden Chef’s Pretend Play Toy Kitchen makes a great gift for kids ages 3 and up. Add the Melissa & Doug Kitchen Accessories Set to round out the pretend play cooking experience

  • ASSEMBLED DIMENSIONS: 39"H x 43.25"L x 15.5"W

• Melissa & Doug Deluxe ABC/123 1-Inch Blocks Set With Storage Pouch Ages 2+

  • 50 ALPHABET AND 123 BLOCKS: The Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden ABC/123 Blocks Set features 50 traditionally-styled one-inch wooden alphabet blocks that include a collection of pictures, letters, and numbers.

  • EXCEPTIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL TOY: Our ABC blocks are excellent for toddlers and preschoolers to develop strong skills including matching, stacking, sorting, and word recognition.

  • SUPERIOR QUALITY: Melissa & Doug ABC building blocks are made from high-quality solid wood and feature charming hand-painted artwork. They are an excellent value that will last for years.

  • GIFT FOR KIDS 2 TO 4: The Deluxe Wooden ABC/123 Blocks Set is a delightful gift for kids ages 2 to 4 years. Add the Melissa & Doug 200 Wood Block Set to round out the hands-on play experience and to give kids an engaging option for screen-free fun.

  • “THE GOLD STANDARD IN CHILDHOOD PLAY”: For more than 30 years, Melissa & Doug has created beautifully designed imagination- and creativity-sparking products that NBC News called “the gold standard in early childhood play.”

• Melissa & Doug 17-Piece Wooden Take-Along Tabletop Railroad, 3 Trains, Truck, Play Pieces, Bridge Ages 3+

  • 17-piece railroad play set with wooden storage case that unfolds to create playing surface with built-in tracks

  • Includes 4 wooden vehicles: 3 train cars and a park ranger vehicle

  • Set up a bridge, mountain tunnel with gondola that slides across the top, buildings, trees, animals, and railroad crossing sign

  • Plenty of room to store all play pieces in the case with convenient carrying handle

  • Makes a great gift for preschoolers, ages 3 to 6, for hands-on, screen-free play

Contact Little Village

Melissa & Doug Month Sale

Gifts for the Aspiring Chef

Whether you're gifting for fans of 'The Bear', internet cooking, or a bygone era of bon appétit, those looking to start their cooking journey or those who simply love collecting cookbooks, we have lots to explore this week on our display For the Chef, part of our Gifts to Give theme this December, as well as plenty more in our Cookbooks department!

Gifts for the Diviner

This week’s display continues our Gifts to Give theme, running through the season, and features great ideas for the Diviner in your life. Whether you’re shopping for someone looking for glimpses in the stars, cards, or anything in between, there’s a little something for everyone!