Abigail Cate

A little girl finds the perfect Christmas gift in C. Jill Lipper's charming children's story, "Abigail Cate."

Today, six-year-old Abigail Cate is going ice-skating on Boston's public pond. She gets herself and her dog, Seymour, all bundled up, and they head off to catch the trolley, meeting her best friends, Suki and Atul, downtown.

They skate and spin in the wonderland snow, fingertips numb, cheeks flushed and aglow.

But Abigail has another reason for wanting to visit the city: to find a special Christmas gift for her beloved piano teacher, Mr. McFee.

Abigail invites her friends along to help her with her search, and the girls fly across the commons to Newbury Street. They stop by elegant boutique shops filled with wonderful gifts, only to discover that they are "too" fancy for Abigail's pocketbook. And after inquiring about a chocolate piano at store selling scrumptious-looking sweets, Abigail is ready to cry.

That is, until Abigail spies a broken-down piano and has a brilliant idea

Accompanied by lush illustrations, this enchanting Christmas story in rhymed verse beautifully captures the spirit of the holiday season. Its heartwarming message and easy-to-follow text make it an instant classic for children and adults alike.