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 the first collection of original tales & letters from Kris & Holly. Vol. 1 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 actual 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!
Here’s a preview of 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
No one 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 similar problems we faced. He opted for a historic snowstorm as a metaphor where Santa had to keep all of the elves at home and away from the toy shop they loved. It took the dedication and ingenuity of one elf to keep the toy making going and inspire the rest of the elves. The Elves Indoors was published later that year with the brilliant artwork of Leah Stoogenke. The entire work has been redrawn by Elena Rogers for consistency with the rest of the stories, and remains a deeply meaningful tale both during any difficult time.
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.
Video
Kris & Holly read their original stories.
(Original) Koosh the Elf, presented by Kris & Holly
Recorded 1/23/2021
All that glitters can make a terrible mess! This was the original version of Koosh the Elf, which will be part of the upcoming collection Tales from Kris & Holly Vol 1 written by Michael Sheinbaum and illustrated by Ukrainian artist Elena Rogers.
(original) NARWHAL DANCE, PRESENTED BY KRIS & HOLLY
Recorded 3/24/2020
This was a second quarantine-inspired Christmas tale written during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Narwhals, you see, love to dance. Yet always at a safe social distance. You can rumba and spin along with Kris and Holly, however, you’d look quite silly. So we of course encourage it. Enjoy!
(original) The Elves Indoors, presented by Kris & Holly.
3/22/2020
Recorded March 22, 2020, Kris and Holly shared an early draft of The Elves Indoors: A Quarantine Christmas Tale at the very beginning of the pandemic. The popularity of this video inspired other Santas to share it and Michael to work with an illustrator to publish The Elves Indoors a month later. Half of the proceeds went to PPE materials for frontline health care workers.
We are so excited to be presenting the first hard-cover collection of original tales & letters. Tales from Kris & Holly vol. 1 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 at many events for as long as we’ve been entertaining children. Each tale is introduced by actual 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.
As in the past, Kris & Holly donates half of the money raised toward charitable causes. With Kris & Holly Vol. 1, we are dedicating proceeds toward aiding Ukraine in its war-time struggle. We will have more detail about this shortly.
Want to know more about each of our tales for Vol 1? Glad you asked!
Michael Sheinbaum has always been a storyteller. As a teenager, he spent his summers publishing the camp newspaper and the rest of the year 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 approximately 100,000 verses of dreadful Japanese poetry. Over the past decade, Michael performed as a professional real-bearded Santa Claus, delighting children both in person and in virtual visits. And all the while, he was creating stories.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Michael published his first book. 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, The Elves Indoors, raised hundreds of dollars toward providing PPE materials for frontline healthcare workers.
In 2023, he’s 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. These stories will be 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 indeed 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 Author
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!”
