Though everybody else has settled down for a long winter's nap, poor Principal Swell has his hands full. With state-mandated paperwork, computers to fix, bus routes to unknot, not to mention discipline and field trips and all the concerned parents, it seems he'll never get back home to his own family! Suddenly the school bell rings, and there stands a lively professor with a promise to fix, complete, or manage it all, since he's already sent the teachers home from the mall. With a few final words of encouragement, he takes off in his school bus: "Merry Christmas to principals-holiday cheer! For they make Santa proud every day of the year!"Steven L. Layne serves as professor of literacy education at Judson University in Elgin, Illinois. He is a sought-after international consultant and motivational keynote speaker. Dr. Layne's books include the International Reading Association/Children's Book Council Children's Choice selections The Teachers' Night Before Christmas and My Brother Dan's Delicious, published by Pelican. His other Pelican titles include: Stay with SisterShare with BrotherLove the BabyThomas's Sheep and the Great Geography TestThomas's Sheep and the Spectacular Science ProjectParadise LostThis Side of ParadiseMergersOver Land and SeaPreacher's Night Before ChristmasTeachers' Night Before HalloweenVerses for Dad's HeartVerses for Mom's HeartAuthor/illustrator James Rice (1934-2004) produced sixty books, including illustrations for many of Pelican's treasured The Night Before Christmas Series. Mr. Rice's first book, the well-loved classic Cajun Night Before Christmasï¿1/2, has nearly 800,000 copies in print. With more than two million copies in print, Rice ranked among the nation's best-selling creators of children's books.BOOKS BY JAMES RICEGastonï¿1/2 Goes to Texas o Gastonï¿1/2 Goes to Nashville o Texas Night Before Christmas o Texas Alphabet o Texas Night Before Christmas Coloring Book o Texas Jack at the Alamo o Cowboy Alphabet o Cowboy Night Before Christmas o Cajun Alphabet o Cowboy Rodeo o La Nochebuena South of the Border o Gastonï¿1/2 Goes to the Kentucky Derby o Cowboy Night Before Christmas Coloring Book o Christmas at the J-O o Trail Drive o Vaqueros o Gastonï¿1/2 the Green-Nosed Alligator o Gastonï¿1/2 Goes to Mardi Gras o Victor Lopez at the Alamo o Gastonï¿1/2 Drills an Offshore Oil Well o Too Tall Thomas Rides the Grub Line o Santa's Revenge o Lyn and the Fuzzy o Gastonï¿1/2 Lays an Offshore PipelineILLUSTRATED BY JAMES RICEThe Little Colonel o Cajun Night Before Christmasï¿1/2 Coloring Book o Jefferson Davis Coloring Book o Hillbilly Night Afore Christmas o A Medal for Murphy o No Regard Beauregard and the Golden Rule o Flags of Texas o The Night Before Christmas o A Christmas Carol o A Southern Time Christmas o Cajun Columbus o Cajun Night Before Christmasï¿1/2 o Southern Love for Christmas o Santa's Christmas Surprise o Why Cowboys Sleep with Their Boots On o An Irish Night Before Christmas o Why Cowboys Need a Brand o A Leprechaun's St. Patrick's Day o Redneck Night Before Christmas o Gullah Night Before Christmas o Why Cowboys Need a Pardner o An Irish Hallowe'en o Sailor's Night Before Christmas o Trucker's Night Before Christmas o Why Cowgirls Are Such Sweet Talkers o Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas o Cajun Night After Christmas o The Teachers' Night Before Christmas o Firefighter's Night Before Christmas o Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas Coloring Book o Country Music Night Before Christmas o Nurse's Night Before Christmas o Ozark Night Before Christmas o The Principal's Night Before Christmas o An Irish Night Before Christmas Coloring BookGIFT ITEMS BY JAMES RICECajun Night Before Christmasï¿1/2 Ornament o Gastonï¿1/2 Santa Claus Plush Toy o Gastonï¿1/2 Mardi Gras Plush Toy o Gastonï¿1/2 Goes to Mardi Gras OrnamentAudiobooks are available for select titles.