A clever, singing rabbit eats his way through the pea patch until Little Girl snatches him up and he is soon singing a new tune as he plans his escape. With a nod to Brer Rabbit, Pickin Peas is adapted from two folktales collected in Alabama and Virginia. The lively storytelling voice of award-winning author Margaret Read MacDonald, combined with Pat Cummings' bright, bold contemporary illustrations, makes this timeless battle-of-wits an instant classic.
This timeless ballad has been part of American folklore for over a century. Born with a hammer in his hand, John Henry discovers his true calling as a steel-driving man but he inevitably meets his match in a race against a steam drill that provides a powerful metaphor for the disruption and loss of innocence created by the industrial age. Thornton's charcoal drawings deftly capture the triumphal spirit of this cautionary tale.
Buddy lives at the pet store, but he wants a real home. Who will give him a loving home?
This delightful adaptation of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, shares zoo keeper and animal preparations for the upcoming "Zoo Day." But things aren't going according to plan . . . The llamas won't quit spitting, the giraffes are drooling, and the zebras aren't happy at all with their stripes. Meanwhile, the zoo keepers are scurrying this way and that, cleaning up poop, ringing mealtime bells, and trying to get the animals bathed. Will "Zoo Day" go off without a hitch? The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes "Creative Sparks: imagine you're a zoo keeper," and "An Animal Adaptation Matching Activity."
What if Jack and Jill had been playing on a nice soft sand dune instead of that treacherous hill? And suppose Mary's pet wasn't really a lamb. What if Mary had a little . . . clam? Those questions -- and more -- are gleefully answered in Mother Osprey: Nursery Rhymes for Buoys & Gulls. This collection retells Mother Goose rhymes and celebrates America's coastlines and waterways -- from sea to shining sea. The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes: Poem related fun facts and a Map activity.
It isn't always easy being a moose but this young moose has a special, joke-telling friend to keep him company and to help him find his way. Join Moose, Magpie and some of their other animal friends as they frolic through a year of changes. Learn what the Liberty Bell and moose have in common or why moose cross the road. Laugh along with Moose and Magpie, and learn something while you are at it. The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes: Is it for real?, Moose and birds, What do moose eat?, Match the moose body part to its adaptation, Moose life cycle, Moose antlers, and Moose fun facts.
Long ago, when the world was young, the magpies' nests were the envy of all other birds. To help the other birds, Maggie Magpie patiently explained how to build a nest. But some birds were impatient and flew off without listening to all the directions, which is why, to this day, birds' nests come in all different shapes and sizes. This clever retelling of an old English folktale teaches the importance of careful listening.
Jonah, like many little boys, is afraid of the dark. His older brother, Gor, and his baby sister, Arpi, share the bedroom with Jonah. But it's still a scary place at night, what with monsters under beds and on chairs, and who knows what's lurking in the spooky cupboard? But when Gor promises Jonah his favorite toy soldier if he'll just try not to be afraid, Jonah is too excited to sleep. Will the scary dark keep Jonah in his bed?
Baby Elephant lives near the river with his family. Baby Elephant learns to pick berries with his mother.
Kate has decided on a pirate theme for her party. She thinks that seven is going to be the best age to be. Her friend Jake is going to teach her to ride a two-wheeler. And her party is going to be fabulous. That is, until Violet starts spreading stories. Kate goes right on with her planning, but she is worried. When Violet is the only one to show up on the big day, Kate thinks that her worst fears have come true.
Bruno is a boy with particular tastes and ideas. He will not, for example, eat anything green. He spends one day as Sir Bruno and another as the Queen. He is an entrepreneur and he understands the language of Car. Bruno is a boy worth knowing.
George is hardly bigger than a child's middle finger. His knees and his elbows don't bend and his legs are fused together. When Katie and Mackenzie find him at the edge of the ocean, they are unimpressed, but George keeps turning up in their lives. And what may seem ordinary to a girl and a boy can be an awesome adventure if you are six centimeters tall.
The poems in this book tell stories of animals and nature, from two sweaty hippos, a smiling lizard and some creepy crawlers to a few tricky dandelions. At the end of each poem, find out more in an interview with a key character or a list of fascinating facts.
Harriet has a large collection of stuffed animals. Her favorite is an intrepid bear, Theodora (Teddy, to her friends), who leads the others in a variety of attempts to boss Harriet around and to claim the spot of alpha animal in the household. It is all Harriet can do to get her own way once in a while.
Sam and Nate tells the story of a developing friendship between two boys. Through letters, notes, school projects, a pregnant teacher and a substitute who has never taught children before, Sam and Nate support each other as best they can, but get into some funny scrapes while they're at it.
Jake and his younger brother Tommy are on their first camping trip. While exploring in the woods on Marsh Island, they lose their way. When the boys start to feel like they're not the only ones wandering in the woods, they begin to wonder if the story their dad told them about old Alfred Marsh and his lost fortune is true.
In Monster Lunch we dine with Frankenstein, attend a burgoo and a birthday party, meet a grumpy garden dude and slurp hot zoop. Each poem is followed by an interview with the main character or fascinating facts about food. This collection of yummy, yucky, messy and hot rhyming stories is bursting with rhythmical fun.
In Rhyme Stones, we go spelunking, we meet a witch who can't stay on her broomstick, a schoolyard bully, and we see how a simple piece of cloth can become anything we want it to be. Each long poem is followed by an exclusive interview with the main character, and each short poem has a "trailer" of cool facts about the theme.
Pierre is excited about his trip to Paris for the poodle championship, and he can't wait to see the sights. But when his beloved Miss Murphy leaves him in the hotel room, Pierre takes matters into his own paws. He slips out of their room and makes his way to the top of the Eiffel Tower! When a storm erupts, Pierre catches hold of an umbrella and is swept into the sky over Paris. He lives his dream of being Pierre Le Poof-Daredevil Poodle. In true Pierre fashion, he stops at a Dumpster for a snack on the way back to his hotel. When he returns to his room, his pompoms are a mess, and the dog show is only hours away!
When eleven puppies are born on Mollie's family's boat, chaos ensues. Mollie's mother wonders what to do, but Mollie has an idea. She will host a tea party in order to find homes for Charlotte, Heidi, Stuart, Margalo, Max, Pippi, Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger. But Wilbur ... Wilbur is special. Not just any home will do for him.
Uncle Wally's Old Brown Shoe, inspired by the familiar nursery rhyme The House That Jack Built, follows the course of one very unusual shoe as it travels through a fascinating, imaginative world to encounter an assortment of quirky characters. The imaginative text and cumulative story are sure to enthrall young readers, as will the detailed illustrations. Children and adults will delight in finding the whimsical objects and hidden meanings in the layered colorful artwork, reminiscent of Wallace Edwards's first book, Alphabeasts.
Patterned on the popular carol, The Twelve Days of Summer takes readers on a joyous journey into summer, from the first discovery of three eggs in a sparrow's nest to the day when those eggs hatch. Readers will pore over the pictures, searching for that fifth bumblebee, that tenth crow, and for the thoughtfully chosen toy that turns up on each page: a parachute with the goatsbeard seeds, a fan with the ruffed grouse. This is a story to delight and engage children and adults alike.
No matter how hard he tries, Ian Goobie can't do the things that the other children in his class can do. Then he finds a rock, a rock that fits perfectly into his pocket, a rock that touches all his senses and whisks him away into a whole other world. From then on, as long as he has a rock in his pocket, Ian Goobie can begin to cope with his daily challenges. That is until he stuffs so many rocks in his pockets that his pants fall down right outside in the schoolyard.
It's a rainy day. Wellington is down in the dumps and can't resist the smell of his master's freshly made meatloaf. While his master snoozes, Welly devours every last bite. After he hides the empty pan, he eats the contents of the garbage can too. Honey, a sneaky kitty and Wellington's archenemy, threatens to tell on him. Welly's tummy begins to churn and out comes everything he has gobbled down. What a mess! But in this lively, rhyming picturebook, things have a way of turning out better than expected for Welly, and just this once he escapes being blamed for the missing meatloaf.
Jake and his younger brother Tommy are visiting family at a beach house on the coast. Having already lost a race to his cousin Lexie, Jake can't resist a second chance at victory when she challenges him again. Only this time it's a boat race-to the legendary Smuggler's Cave and back. The ocean is deep and choppy, and the boat is harder to control than Jake thought it would be. When he and Tommy reach Smuggler's Cave, the unthinkable happens. The boat capsizes, and they are swept into the cave. Lexie comes to their rescue, but the rising tide prevents them from escaping, and the three of them soon realize they are trapped.
