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

For small children worrying about the existence of childhood's "special" friends--especially Tooth Fairy but also Santa Claus and Easter Bunny--here's a story to allay any and all misgivings. Little Hippo is proving to be a serious "doubting Thomas," and Tooth Fairy's not at all pleased! Sure, "the tooth-for-coin exchange thing" is a little late tonight, but is she to blame for the rain that's upsetting her delivery schedule? Can she help it if wet wings don't work as well as dry ones? Fortunately for Little Hippo, seeing is believing, and, in no time at all, his faith in Tooth Fairy and magic is fully restored. This engaging adventure, cleverly illustrated to convey and complement the tongue-in-cheek tone of the story, will delight even the most skeptical young readers.

Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks are mind-boggling evidence of afifteenth-century scientific genius standing at the edge of themodern world, basing his ideas on observation and experimentation.This book will change children’s ideas of who Leonardo was and whatit means to be a scientist.

It’s just a silly string, this wet old thing. Or was it? In "The Things A String Can Be," the main character Sam leaves the house after days of rain with nothing in tow but his imagination. He finds a simple piece of string in a big puddle and spends the entire day dreaming of ways to turn this ordinary object into extraordinary adventures with his friends. His adventures then lead to a heartwarming ending. In Sam’s mind, the string becomes Tarzan’s jungle vine, a tree swing, jump rope, necklace for his mom and much more. With rhyming, repetition and bold, colorful graphics, author Julie Goulis and illustrator John Ferguson encourage children to use their own creativity to entertain themselves. Children are captivated by this imaginative young boy and his adventures with a silly old string. "The Things A String Can Be" is the first of a series of books using ordinary objects to go on extraordinary adventures. It also includes a bonus free activity guide at the end that gives children, parents and teache

Thirty years of silly songs, rhymes, lullabies, classics, and just plain favorite music come together on this reissue of the 25th Anniversary Celebration. Chosen from among the hundreds and hundreds of songs that Wee Sing has collected over the last 30 years, this treasury is a fitting tribute to the best-selling name in children’s music!

After months of searching, not to mention leading a pride of escaped circus lions through Europe and all the way back to Africa, Catspeaker Charlie Ashanti has finally been reunited with his parents—and a long-lost relative with a huge secret to reveal. But their family reunion doesn't last long. Kidnapped and thrown in a boat, Charlie finds himself alone and bound for who knows where. Charlie's parents and his faithful lion friends are in hot pursuit, but can Charlie outwit his captor and topple the Corporacy's wicked enterprise? That's the plan, and Charlie intends to pull it off—no matter the cost.

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

Wolf Christmas is a Marshall Cavendish publication.

Sometimes it's fun being siclNoodles are bought to you on a/an tenis nacket so you can eat and watch TV, and your temperature is taken by putting a/an potate in you shoe

From School Library Journal PreSchool-K—Maddy asks her grandmother for a story: "Tell me about the day I was born. Tell me how I was a hurrying child. And how you hurried across three states to meet me." This simple picture book tells that tale, relating how a young couple headed for the hospital after making a rushed phone call to Grandma, who then embarked on her own longer journey by train, knitting all the way. She arrived just in time to meet her new granddaughter. Details of Maddy's birth are presented side by side with highlights of Grandma's trip. The "meanwhile" narrative structure adds interest, as do certain visual details (especially the doll that is old and well-loved in the preschooler's arms, but fresh out of the box, curly hair intact, before that child is born). Some of the figures look a bit stiff, but Chorao's watercolors are pretty and accessible, and the poetic text capitalizes on children's interest in their own history. While not an essential purchase, this book will be useful i

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Mr. West Wind plagues Abigail Muchmore's land day and night. This patient and fiercely independent woman tolerates the havoc that the constant blowing creates on her farm until the impudent zephyr decides to play some tricks on her. First, her "fancy, new, store-bought bloomers" are sent sailing all the way to Sam Golightly's place, followed by the pears right off her trees. The final straw comes when her beloved Tornado Pup is propelled clear into the next county. Her good temper gone, Abigail lassoes her devilish foe and imprisons him in her storm cellar where she extracts promises from him to return her dog and to stop his constant barrage. Once liberated, he stays true to his word, and he and Abigail enjoy a peaceful coexistence. Somewhat pallid watercolors create a quieter mood than is warranted for this lively, humorous tall tale. Readers may also question Abigail's ability to lasso and capture a wind that is capable of uprooting trees and livestock, as she is depicted in the pictur

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

This wide-ranging series now contains twenty-eight books: four titles in each of six strands addressing technology, earth science, space, government, American history and the human body. Compelling and up-to-date, each title in this open-ended series offers an abundance of timely information concerning topics of high interest to young readers. This book is about President.

Kindergarten-Grade 4–Paper-collage whiz Jenkins returns to the space art he used to such breathtaking effect in Looking Down (Houghton, 2003), but here he looks up: at the entire solar system, and, briefly, beyond. The text, written by his physicist father, provides a nearly number-free scattering of basic facts, beginning with an overview of the system, depicting planets and major moons from the Sun on out, then closing with spreads on space travel, and the idea of life on other planets. In alternating close-ups and pages of smaller scenes, the artist overlays pieces of cut, painted, crumpled, or otherwise worked papers for dramatic evocations of swirling clouds, airless expanses of rocky rubble, storms, volcanoes, spacecraft, and more. Unfortunately, the beauty here is sometimes only skin deep; the volcano Maxwell Mons, for instance, is incorrectly placed on Mars rather than Venus, and the clean look of one view of the solar system is achieved by leaving out the asteroid belt, and assigning Pluto to a wro

Jemima Puddle-duck can't find her ducklings! Join Peter Rabbit as he helps Jemima Puddle-duck look for them and then take them back to the farm. Features a big round sound button toddlers will love to press to hear a quacking noise. Images are accompanied by charming rhyming text.

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

There was once a woman who lived with her daughter in a beau-tiful cabbage garden… Ordered by her mother to drive away the rabbit who is eating up all their cabbages, our maiden obediently "shoo-shoos" the intruder. This is to no effect, and instead of contin- uing her efforts, she climbs upon the rabbit for a ride that ends in a most unexpected situation. Animal guests are gathered and a wedding under way, as the maiden weeps. Ordered by the Rabbit to do what she will not, our bride-to-be takes matters into her own hands. Caldecott Honor artist Holly Meade invokes the Brothers Grimm in a fairy tale she has made her distinctive own. Vibrant water- colors depict seemingly innocent events furthering the overall effect that this is no ordinary story.

Basho And The Fox is a Marshall Cavendish publication.