"Abbas is just seventeen years old when he leaves his family to serve in the court of Tipu Sultan, a volatile and unpredictable ruler. An inspired woodcarver, Abbas is apprenticed to a master toy maker in order to build a massive tiger automaton, a gift to celebrate the return of the Sultan's sons from British captivity. Working alongside the legendary French clockmaker Monsieur du Leze, Abbas hones his craft and learns to read French and then meets...

When a boy loses the wooden nativity set that links him to his deceased father, his mother persuades a reclusive woodcarver to make a replacement. As Christmas approaches and the boy demands more, will the gift be finished in time?

"In Dreams can come true, follow the adventures of Tom, the woodcutter's son with big dreams. With the help of his wise uncle, he puts a plan into action to prove himself to a rich Duke. But is success snatched away at the last minute?"--Back cover.

The story begins as a pinewood log falls out of a cart and lands in front of Geppetto the woodcarver's door. Geppetto carves a puppet out of the wood because he has been longing for a son. When the puppet comes alive and causes trouble, Geppetto is arrested and Pinocchio is left to his own naïve world view. After getting a stern warning from the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio sets out to reunite with his father, become a real boy, and succumb to some desire...

At Christmas-Hanukkah time, a Christian woodcarver gives a carved angel to a young Jewish friend, who struggles with accepting the Christmas gift until he realizes that friendship means the same thing in any religion.