Old Miss Twiggley Was friendly with bears. "They shed on the sofa," she said, "But who cares?" And was it true, as the mayor's wife had heard, that she actually slept in her hat? "Simply disgraceful," they said. But when a hurricane hits the town and the water rises, everyone is grateful to Miss Twiggley and her tree. Even better, Miss Twiggley herself learns a very important lesson, with a warm and happy ending.

    Bulldozers push the raccoon and his friends from their home, but they are able to find a new one after a terrifying train ride.

    And the next morning Henry assembled his equipment for the trip: lunch and flags for claiming all that he planned to discover. Exploring is hard work, and sometimes, although explorers do not get lost, they are not quite sure which way to go. All of which makes Henry's exploring worth reading about.

    A small dog, abandoned near a trash dump and captured by a dog catcher, finds a home for herself when she is befriended by a circus clown whose act needs improving.

    This tale, adapted from Zolotow's I Want to Be Little and newly illustrated with appealing watercolors, will strike a pleasurable chord with adults and children.

    Seuss. When the Berenstain Bears set out to find the perfect spot for a picnic, Father Bear says he knows just the place. But each ideal location turns out to be a complete disaster, with a train roaring past or hordes of mosquitoes. At last they find a place with no pesky crowds or noisy planes, and nary a mosquito . . . until it starts to rain. With The Bears' Picnic, literary legends Stan and Jan Berenstain provide a red-and-white-checked tablecloth to enhance a giggle-filled escape.Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning.

    Their father is a talented painter, but unacknowledged, and so the family is poor, though very happy. When the story opens, the father is painting his masterpiece. Sarah and Simon are helpers and spend their time doing chores and visiting their favorite place in town: the old second-hand bookshop with its kind owner. Soon the masterpiece is almost finished, except for the bit of red paint needed to complete it, and even the dealer agrees to buy it if it were finished the next day. But there is no more red paint, and no more money left. So Sarah and Simon set out to help their father...

    In this story of family life on a lonely farm in Iceland, Rauf, his little sister Egli, and their two ponies bravely weather an earthquake, a volcanic eruption, a violent blizzard and the birth of a foal.

    So where did they go. Come on this fun romp to see what those sheep were up to in their time away from home. This delightful series (Junior Elf Books) presents an excellent selection of factual and fanciful adventures for young children. The stories will stir the imagination and awaken a sense of wonder, making children more aware of the realities of their environment. Junior Elf Books can provide a stimulating early learning experience.

    

    When some of his friends are trapped in a cornfield which is being cut, a little mouse flies to their rescue in a red balloon.

    How the king selects the one who will stay as court magician is a surprise even to himself.

    Rendition of an African folktale about a proud little fly who starts a chain of events that affects all the animals of the jungle.

    

    She loves the theatre and her enthusiasm for ballet is already well known. She now proves an equally keen protagonist for opera; her enthusiasm is written on every page. But Miss Streatfeild is a wise guide. She outlines as much of the history of opera as is necessary to set any work in perspective, and shows how operas are composed and produced. The story is simply and concisely told, and with much sympathy for the reader who is setting out on this enchanting road for the first time. The illustrations by Hilary Abrahams have their part to play, aptly reminding that opera is for the eye as well as for the ear and the list of recordings is an invaluable assistance to teachers or parents.

    Tells how the little sailor sailed off to see the world and visited an Eskimo family.