Benny thinks hes the best——，best at everything.He is such a big shot!But when Benny gets to camp, hes not very good at anything.When some capers get into trouble,can Benny be the best at saving the day?

Now in print for more than sixty years, this classic story of "the cutest, silliest tugboat you ever saw" continues to delight children around the world. This 8 x 8 edition features watercolor illustrations done in the style of the late Hardie Gramatky. Card catalog de*ion Little Toot the tugboat conquers his fear of rough seas when he single-handedly rescues an ocean liner during a storm.

I've Got the Back-to-School Blues Annie is about to start second grade. But her best friends aren't in her class. Plus, Annie has a new teacher--Ms. Toady! What if Annie's friends forget about her? And what if Ms. Toady is as mean as everyone says? How will Annie ever survive second grade?

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

Did you know... That sharks have been around since the time of the dinosaurs? That the smallest shark could fit into the palm of your hand, and the largest is longer than a moving van? You'll find out lots more about sharks in this exciting book!

Dr. Robert Mason, the current recipient of the National Science Foundation"s Young Investigator Award, has been studying a mysterious phenomenon for over fifteen years: the reemergence of tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes — the world"s largest concentration of snakes — after a winter spent in a state of suspended animation in subterranean caverns. This gathering each spring in the forests of Manitoba, Canada, is one of the most extraordinary events of the natural world and is the subject of study for Dr. Mason, a.k.a. the Snake Scientist.

Turtle and Snake are going to the beach. They're going to enter the big sand castle contes. But every time they turn around, their sand castle gets wiped out by the waves. Will they be able to build a new one in time for the contest?

Three friends relax after their picnic lunch by each telling his or her best story.——This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Poor Otis can't get any of his duck lessons down. During swimming classes, he spends more time below the water than above it. And though he learned to fly, he somehow forgot how to land. When a particularly messy landing embarrasses him in front of Violet, the most lovely duck on the lake, Otis runs away and reinvents himself as Jack Quack, Renegade Drake, Prince of the Forest, King of the Lake. But will it be enough to win Violet's love?

A-huff-and-a-puff-and-a-huff-and-a-puff-and-a-huff-and-a-puff" "WHAT'S HAPPENING?" Tacky the penguin wants to know. The Winter Games, that's what's happening. And Tacky and his fellow penguins Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect have to work hard to get in shape so they can represent Team Nice Icy Land in the athletic competitions. After rigorous training, they're ready - but are the games ready for Tacky? Will his antics keep Team Nice Icy Land from winning a medal? From bobsledless racing and ski jumping to speed skating, Tacky lends his unique, exuberant style to each competition. In laugh-out-loud scenes of Tacky and his fellow penguins' athletic debacles, Tacky reminds readers of the underlying joy and enthusiasm that propells athletes to greatness. So get ready to cheer for Team Nice Icy Land and let the games begin!

Gr. 1^-2. Lulu is a princess who's a royal pain. Since she has no friends, her parents decide to send her to camp. Lulu is not a happy camper: no servants, no phone, and no fun. But when her crown falls in the lake, and she makes another camper giggle, Lulu gets the first inkling of what it's like to have a friend. A happy summer ensues in this story, which has a fresh premise and is funny enough to keep new readers going. The watercolor-and-pen illustrations are well executed, capturing the humor of Lulu's transformation. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The simple and clear step-by-step instructions will make it easy for children to build a kinara and mishuma saba, paint a family tree, construct unity dolls, weave a mkeka, and make a unity cup. They"ll also learn the history and the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

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.

Kindergarten-Grade 3. It would be difficult to imagine a less poetic theme than that of a bat accidentally trapped in the posh dining room of a summer resort. However, Dragonwagon has woven an evocative, lyrical prose poem in this tale of one frantic flying mammal and one quiet young girl who really cares what happens to it. While the excited, well-heeled patrons escape to the lobby, and the tuxedo-garbed staff run for brooms and other weapons, Melissa remains alone in the dining room. Unhurriedly, and with calm resolve, she lures the bat to an emergency door, where it flies into the starry night to freedom. The spare text combines internal rhyme and interesting word juxtapositions to create the appropriate mood. The contrast of uproar and quiet, agitation and calm combine to build a story from one brief incident. Schindler's beautiful illustrations, a combination of colored pencil and watercolor on pastel paper, become a harmonious complement to the text. The artist has juxtaposed the luminous views of a sum

When Baby Bird says good-bye to his mama at school each morning, he feels sad. Mama Bird feels sad, too. Sometimes it's hard to be apart. But as Mama Bird says, the love they share is with them always, keeping them close until the best part of the day--when they are together again.

Cam Jansen has a great time looking for shells on the beach with her friend Eric and her aunt Molly. But when they're done, Cam's mother is nowhere in sight! She was just sitting under a red umbrella, so how could she have disappeared? With a click, Cam puts her photographic memory to work to find her mom.

From "Who sits where in an orchestra?" to "Why do flutes have holes?" I Wonder Why Mice Are Musical and Other Questions About Music answers all sorts of questions that children love to ask about composers, instruments, singing, and dancing.

Slaughtering elephants for their ivory; shooting bears for their gall bladders; capturing sea turtles for soup. In the name of vanity, fashion, and greed, man stalks and kills wild animals -- and gets away with it, even when it is clearly against the law. But now scientists have a way to catch and convict poachers. In a laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, they analyze clues to link suspects to crimes. In words and pictures, this book tells a poignant story and reveals how science can indeed save the day.

The little piggies in Geisert's (Oink Oink) latest porcine paean try to go to market, but are temporarily derailed in this clever caper of a picture book. French emigrants Jambo and Marva Jambonneau and their 12 piglets run a successful tree nursery in Ames, Iowa (an area famous for its nurseries), where they show off their talents as gifted topiarists and raise giant pumpkins. Each autumn, the pigs and their neighbors work overtime to meet local demand for trees trimmed into the shape of turkeys. But after the Jambonneaus put the finishing touches on their first batch of turkey trees, their masterpieces mysteriously disappear during the night. Family teamwork, Marva's quick thinking and the oversize squashes all play a part in discovering the thief just in time for a fine fall harvest sale. Geisert combines history, unique Midwestern color and fun in his simple yet snappy text. His intricate, evocative hand-colored etchings incorporate bits of bright and clunky salvage strewn about the nursery, adding charac

reSchool-K-Through the grapevine, an about-to-be kindergartner learns that there are lots of rules at school. Rules #3 and #2 prevent students from bringing stuffed animals or their cats to class. Rule #1 is a bit more serious. "You have to know how to tie your shoes. By yourself. You're not allowed to ask for help. Ever." Even a child who can count backward from 10 or feed her cat by herself can feel inadequate. As the 10 days before school wind down, she worries that she will be labeled "Velcro Girl" and finds endless ways to cover the gap in her skills through the destruction of her shoes and/or laces. Bliss presents the heroine with large-eyed innocence and humorous details. The pace varies nicely with changes in font size, full- and partial-page illustrations, speech balloons, and a daily countdown toward the big day. A strong dose of adult patience and a bit of peer support round out this youngster's first educational challenge.

Packed with movie stills, cross-sections, and character details, this guide offers an up-close look at the world of Oakey Oaks and all of the colorful characters who live there.

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.

ross blizzard-wracked mountains to save his life. Picture the babe's mother undergoing a cruel, brutal test to prove her son is indeed the bona fide prince of Norway. A fairy tale? No, this is a true story, based on the account written in 1264 by Sturla Tordsson, about the Middle Ages' most powerful king during what are known as Norway's Golden Years. Norwegian-born author Lise Lunge-Larsen tells the story of this king's miraculous adventure in infancy, while woodcut artist Mary Azarian stunningly depicts the heroism of the birch-bark armored peasant warriors, the Birkebeiners. Based on a 1264 account documenting a true incident in Norwegian history, this engaging narrative opens during a 1206 Christmas Eve gathering at the home of one of the Birkebeiners, a group of brave warriors. A priest knocks on the door, who has in his protection a baby, Prince Hakon, and his mother; a rival band aspires to kill the child (who is heir to the throne) and to declare one of their own king. Soon a handful of Birkebei

After a decade-long absence, Mayer returns to picture books, using computer-generated graphics to illustrate an original tale set in long-ago Japan. When the emperor's daughter, Shibumi, discovers the poverty-stricken world beyond her garden walls, she longs to resolve the inequity. Tying herself to an enormous kite fashioned for her by the royal kite-maker, she takes flight, telling her father that she will not come down until the city below "is as beautiful as the palace, or the palace is as squalid as the city." Wealthy noblemen who wish to preserve the status quo mount an attack, and the kite carries off both Shibumi and the kite-maker. The bereaved emperor spends his years trying to make amends, and in the end a young samurai sets out to find the princess and restore her to her father and the transformed city. Mayer grounds his message in familiar fairy tale elements, and proceeds at a leisurely pace. His computer art approaches the brooding style of his paintings in East of the Sun & West of the Moon (a