The creators of Brothers of the Knight here offer an inspirational story of a hopeful young ballet dancer who complains of her too-big feet and too-long legs: "I was too big for the boys to pick up, and too tall to be in line with the other girls. So I watched from backstage, dancing in the wings, hoping that if I just kept dancing and trying, it would be my turn to dance in the spotlight." Though her brother and several of her peers constantly razz her, Sassy's uncle encourages her to audition for a role in a summer dance festival, asserting, "All you gotta do to make your mark on the world is walk into a room." The director of the festival echoes this sentiment when he announcesAin the book's foreseeable denouementAthat Sassy has landed a place in his program. Allen's wordy narrative occasionally tries too hard to be hip (featuring such slang put-downs as "Your mama" and "Talk to the hand"), but this tale may well boost the confidence of youngsters who share Sassy's lack of self-assuredness. Nelson's animat

It's Christmas Ee and Santa is nowhere to be found!Luckily his Polar pals are on the case.But will they find Santa in time for him to make his special deliveries?

This book offers fun ideas to help young children use their imaginations in their own pretend play. It is through pretend play that young children learn about the world around them. You can help to stimulate your child's imagination by discussing each of Baby Bop's pretend situations and asking how your child would pretend to be a doctor, a firefighter, a zookeeper, etc. We consider books to be life-long gifts that develop and enhance the love of reading. We hope you enjoy reading along with Barney and Baby Bop!

Lola is dog-sitting her very most favorite dog in the whole wide world—Sizzles! But when Sizzles disappears, it’s up to Charlie and Lola to find him. Kids will love joining in the search for Sizzles by helping to look for him under 50 different flaps!

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A well-told story with distinctive characters. In 1850, Ned, an eight-year-old Cape Cod boy, takes a job as a cook on a fishing schooner in order to support his mother and his younger siblings. While Ned finds the life difficult, he makes friends with the crew and becomes especially fond of an older sailor who is in charge of salting the cod. Ezra explains that the vessel will return home when the salt runs out. Ned wastes the preservative whenever possible, hoping to return to port in time for his birthday. Therefore, he is surprised when Ezra announces that the salt, which Ned knows was not in short supply, is gone. Readers will sympathize with the child and share his joy when he is able to celebrate his special day with his family. There is also humor, particularly when the crew plays a trick on him and everyone enjoys the joke. The illustrations, in soft pastel watercolors, are evocative of the sunlit journey. Hays uses full-page spreads and smaller-scaled illustrations effectively, a

Spooky Mad Libs includes three of our best-selling monster-themed Mad Libs-all in one frightfully funny book! frightfully funny book! If you have just heard someone say……

Ages 4-8. In this world record book of natural history, Jenkins identifies and describes places such as the planet's deepest lake, highest mountain, most active volcano, the most extreme tides, and the places designated the hottest, the coldest, the wettest, the driest, and the windiest on Earth. Each spread features a distinctive collage of cut-and-torn papers, which vary in texture and hue. Silhouetted forms provide dramatic focal points in the compositions. Each spread includes a couple of lines of text, supplemented with more information in smaller type and inset maps and diagrams that help the reader visualize just how high, deep, or wet the subject is in comparison with others of its kind. Highly effective visual education for the classroom or for young browsers intrigued by superlatives. Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

The Thank You Book by Carole Stuart, illus. by Arthur Robins, encourages youngsters to mind their p's and q's with cartoonish drawings featuring a chipper boy and girl, and an equally upbeat text. The book offers various examples of when a thank-you is in order (when Dad offers a ride to school; when a teacher solves a problem in art class, etc.), and tells how children from all over the world express their thanks. Carole Stuart and Arthur Robins want to teach children a simple lesson: the importance of saying thank you. Stuart and Robins show children and their parents how easy these words can be to say and when, during a typical day, it might be appropriate. In the company of a brother-and-sister team, readers go from breakfast through bedtime, learning all the thankyous along the way. Robins is the winner of the Nestle Smarties Book Prize, the English equivalent of the Caldecott Medal.

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Aptly dedicated to Friends of Frog and Toad, this delightful beginning reader introduces two endearing neighbors. In the first chapter, Mouse inadvertently sends all her dirt cascading onto Mole's pristine floor when she sweeps. When he confronts her, they learn that with a bit of ingenuity and cooperation, they can clean both floors and still have time to plant a garden. In The Invitations, the new friends attempt to share a meal, but their innate differences–Mole likes his house damp and dark and eats worms, Mouse likes the warm sun and prefers cheese–make it impossible. Next, the animals find clever ways to reconcile their dissimilarities: Mole presents Mouse with some candles to use when she visits, and she gives him a pair of sunglasses. In the final entry, Mole surprises Mouse with a rowboat. Although it's missing an oar, they manage to have fun. The next day, Mouse has a surprise of her own–a new paddle to make A pair…like you and me! The expressive bamboo-pen and waterco

Celia Barker Lottridge knows that young children respond best to tales told with inviting rhythms, and better still when the stories have reassuring endings and embody simple truths. Here Lottridge has collected and retold ten remarkably fresh folk tales from Malaysia, Russia, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, China, Africa, and India. There's the little girl that proves she is not too little to help with the family garden; the fox who takes advantage of other people's generosity until she becomes too greedy for her own good; the little boy who can't get to sleep until his grandmother brings him yet another bedtime companion; and more. The stories, complemented by serene pen-and-watercolor illustrations, promote cooperation and self-awareness and are a pleasure to read again and again.

Peek behind the flaps with Peter Rabbit and find out all about colors！

The official, fully authorized full-color guide to the characters, places, and landscapes of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth as depicted in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.Fully illustrated with almost 300 color photographs, including stunning new images from the extended director's versions of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, and exclusive "first-look" shots from The Return of the King, this Complete Visual Companion now tells the whole tale of The Lord of the Rings in sumptuous detail.The many characters, creatures, and strange lands of Middle-earth encountered by the Fellowship of the Ring in their epic journey are here brought to life: from the magical Elven realms of Rivendell and Lothlorien to the abandoned Dwarven kingdom of Moria; from the wizard Saruman's stronghold at Isengard to the land of the Horse-lords, Rohan; from their last-ditch fortress at Helm's Deep to Minas Tirith, the city-kingdom of the proud Men of Gondor; from the haunted Paths of the Dead to the battlefields of Pelen

Grade 1-3-Truss's picture-book version of her adult bestseller tackles the topic of commas and what can go wrong when they are misused.The title is derived from an old joke in which a panda misunderstands correct panda behavior after reading a poorly punctuated wildlife guide.Versions of two identically worded sentences are presented side by side,demonstrating the difference in meaning achieved when a comma is added or subtracted.Timmons's humorous watercolor cartoons bring the point home.In one spread,the sentence on the left(Look at that huge hot dog!)is illustrated with a gigantic sausage,while that on the right(Look at that huge,hot dog!)shows a tall,sweltering canine.The author cleverly selects examples with the potential for comical(and grammatically correct)revisions.Endnotes elaborate on comma usage in more technical terms.While a title on grammar may need hand selling,both read-aloud audiences and independent readers will discover the potent possibilities of punctuation.More specific than Robin Pulve

PreSchool-Grade 1–From the first page, where humans appear to be hanging upside down and a spider takes center stage (the scene is seen from the spider's perspective, as she clings to the ceiling), it's obvious that this is no ordinary tale. Monks begins with a visual bang and an unusual premise: a spider wants to be this family's pet. However, each time the arachnid tries to entertain them, they toss her outside, screaming, "Aaaarrgghh! Spider!" Disappointed, she stalks off to live in the backyard. When the family members peek out the back door and see the trees festooned with glittering webs, they decide she'd make the perfect pet. Although the resolution is a bit simplistic, the story provides a nice showcase for the art. The acrylic cartoons ably capture the wide-eyed, fearful expressions of the parents, their two children, dog, and cat when confronted with their visitor. A variety of patterned fabrics provide visual interest throughout, but the pièce de résistance is the backyard bejeweled with webs

PreSchool-Grade 1. Froggy wakes from hibernation in the middle of the winter. Despite his mother's urgings to go back to sleep, he is determined to go out and play. He puts on different articles of clothing, each with its own fun sound effect. Each time he ventures out, his mother reminds him that he has forgotten something, prompting him to go back inside, undress, and start again. He becomes so exhausted that he decides it is easier to just stay asleep. This story is just as hilarious in Spanish as it is in English. Storytellers will enjoy making sounds that will encourage young listeners to participate in the telling. The cartoonlike illustrations and funny facial expressions make this a wonderful read-aloud.?Diane Tureski, New York Public Library Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Grade 1-3?Pete is a young pirate who attends school on a pirate ship where the rules are geared toward the unkindly:"Finders keepers,losers weepers."Captain Bones encourages fighting to solve disputes,and Pete is happy to wrestle with classmate Grimy after a name-calling match.On Treasure Hunt Day,Pete and Grimy find themselves forced to cooperate in order to escape certain death and decide to share the treasure "Even Steven"down to the last gold coin.Children will enjoy this beginning reader with all of the bickering and rule reversals.The cartoon illustrations are well done,with interesting backgrounds and each character's feelings clear from his facial expressions.The combination of full-page and smaller pictures on white pages works well.?Sharon R.

The determined Little Blue Engine is back,bringing inspiring and enlightening words of wisdom to graduates of all ages as they make the transition from one phase of life to the next.I Think I Can!provides familiar comfort in changing times and serves as a wonderful gift that will be treasured for years to come.Readers will revisit the story again and again as they move forward along life's path.From"I think I can"to"I knew I could,"The Little Engine That Could helps kids of all ages realize that anything is possible if you just put your mind to it! Celebrate life’s journeys with The Little Engine That Could!Selling over 60,000 copies in the first two months on sale,I Knew You Could!provides familiar comfort in changing times and serves as a wonderful gift that will be treasured for years to come.With inspiring and enlightening words of wisdom,this sweetly nostalgic book is perfect for graduates of all ages as they make the transition from one phase of life to the next.From"I think I can"to"I knew I coul