Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas was written by Russell Hoban and illustrated by his then-wife, Lillian Hoban. The book was the source material for the Muppets' Christmas special Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas in 1977.

The book is directly featured as a prop and plot device in the 2008 stage musical adaptation. In the framing story, Russ reads the book to his daughter Jane, a family tradition that started when she was a little girl.