The Duchess of Whimsy is fancy and fussy—and definitely not ordinary—surrounding herself with wild friends, fabulous foods, and fancy dress. The Earl of Norm (ho hum) is completely ordinary, but he adores the Duchess. She ignores him, until the chef gets sick, and her friends have to make a super supper—which includes tracking down truffles, spinning sugar stars, and looking for quail eggs.But the Earl is hungry! He sneaks off to an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich—and suddenly takes the Duchess’s eye. Maybe there’s something to simplicity after all. Maybe there’s something to the Earl after all . . .This deliciously told and illustrated love story by the remarkable de Sèves shows how utterly charming and extraordinary a picture book can be.

    Little Mouse travels around counting from one to ten, meeting cute little friends along the way. He encounters the world’s three most adorable spiders catching golden rays of sunshine and various other creatures like six slow slimy snails and seven busy buzzing bees. But none seem to care about him. Little Mouse heads home, dejected. The next day, however, his numbered friends arrive to recount all the good times they’ve shared with Little Mouse. So together they count down from ten to one and regain their friendship.Jana Buchmann demonstrates a musician’s timing and a poet’s skill in this perfectly penned book for aspiring little readers. The story, which centers on being disappointed when things don’t go your way, is easy to follow and is relevant for young children. The counting lesson is delivered is such a beautiful and engaging way that kids won’t even realize they are mastering their numbers. The colorful illustrations are divine, embellishing an already wonderful story. I highly recommend Who Wants To Play With Little Mouse? by Jana Buchmann to anyone with toddlers or preschoolers at home, as it is an easy-to-grasp story that teaches counting and important lessons in such a way that every child will be eager to learn.

    One is afraid of the light, the other is afraid of the dark. Together they learn that friends are all they need to conquer their fears.Nancy Armo's humorous story, with adorable illustrations, explores fear and friendship to show how opposites can complement, strengthen, and support each other.

    All she wanted to do was to make art. But becoming an artist wasn't an easy. Her parents worked hard to provide her paper and paints, and Mary worked hard to enter contests and earn a spot at a school for the arts. She even had to work hard to find her place at the Walt Disney Studios. But Walt was easily impressed by Mary Blair. When she joined his trip to South America, Mary had never seen such color. She collected that color and used it in her concept art for Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan, and even the It's a Small World attraction at Disneyland. This beautifully illustrated picture book shares Mary's story, in all its inspiring flair.

    Thomas and Joseph are content, but the other animals are not. The hens want the pigs to paint their pen, the rabbit wants them to eat healthier food, and the duck wants them to dig a water hole andtake a bath. Even though the other animals try to show them how it's done, the pigs can't seem to do anything right.Maybe being lazy isn't as dumb as it seems.

    . . now and forever!   From brave and bold to creative and clever, Emily Winfield Martin's rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. With beautiful, and sometimes humorous, illustrations, and a clever gatefold with kids in costumes, this is a book grown-ups will love reading over and over to kids—both young and old. A great gift for any occasion, but a special stand-out for baby showers, birthdays, and graduation. The Wonderful Things You Will Be has a loving and truthful message that will endure for lifetimes.

    Turns out, trying something new isn't always easy, but sometimes, it's the hardest work that leads to the greatest reward.

    Young readers won’t be able to resist counting—and quacking—along!

    He rejected a traditional life laid out clean and smooth before him. Instead he chose a life of art. But not just any art: a new way of seeing that came to be called impressionism.Monet loved to paint what he saw around him, particularly the Seine River. He was initially rejected for using bright colors, tangled brushstrokes--condemned for his impressions. But soon art dealers and collectors were lining up each morning to see as Monet saw. Monet, however, waited only for the light. The changing light...each morning he had a dozen canvases on hand to paint a dozen different moments. His brush moved back and forth, chasing sunlight--putting in the arduous work to create an image that seemed to contain no effort at all.The stellar team that brought you the Caldecott Honor book The Noisy Paint Box explores another influential painter, in a moving tribute to creativity, commitment, and new ways of seeing the world around you.

    A green tongue, pointy horns, sharp teeth, and terrible claws are sure to make everyone scream!But what happens when rather than running away in a fright, they smile, laugh, and absolutely LOVE the monsters?Join the frustrated artist on this hilariously hair-raising journey where the scary and not scary meet and mingle, embarking on an adventure that reveals that overcoming fear and prejudice can lead to a wonderful friendship.With hand-drawn cutout illustrations, incorporating materials that kids actually use while making art, and a perfect mix of shivers and giggles, this bold, energetic picture book celebrates the power of a child’s imagination and appeals to a child’s love of the scary and the fun. This unique monster story touches on stereotyping and the fear of what is different in a way that young readers will relate to. It demonstrates that it’s possible to overcome bias, and helps children understand that acceptance and diversity make our lives far more colorful and enjoyable.

    It features Terry Treetop, a red-headed, freckled young boy who loves to climb trees. Christmas is in the air, and Terry is busy getting his family’s Christmas tree ready with his Dad when he notices a small, helpless creature in danger. Terry runs out into the deep snow and puts his famous tree-climbing talents into play. Will he be able to save little Sammy and then enjoy Christmas with a furry new friend? Scroll up now and get your copy of Terry Treetop and the Christmas Star!

     Most of Jasper’s friends are wimpy bats who just want to eat insects and play games. Luckily, Jasper is best friends with Arnold, another brave and adventurous bat, and his exploration companion. In this diary, Jasper tells of his adventures with Arnold, how they discovered something thought to have gone extinct, and how they faced the “fearsome creature” of the Nether.

    

    It is an adorable children’s picture book about Flip the baby dolphin embracing the depth and longevity of friendship and learning to fearlessly stand up for what is right; and to speaking out against unfair treatment of the vulnerable. Flip and her best friend Aqua portray the classic grace, playfulness and social nature of dolphins. Not to mention their artistry and athleticism while swimming and playing in the water. Truly beautiful creations of nature physically as well as personality-wise. The book is a treat for the entire family with pictures to stimulate the interest of children and adventures and life lessons for everyone. A great story that can be read to those younger than 5, a read alone or with guidance book for kids age 5-8, or as a read alone tale for kids 9-12 who are looking for a new sort of hero. Who doesn’t want to know more about a couple of adorable dolphins? A wonderful addition to any library, especially those collecting Kids Picture Adventure Books for the Kindle or animal picture books. *****

    But they just cannot seem to find a cake that's big enough for elephants. The elephants need to find a way out to arrange a cake for their friend's birthday.'The Elephants and the Chocolate Cake' is the story of three lovable characters that solve a problem by thinking out of the box. The story is easy to follow and the lovely, bright illustrations keep children engaged to the story. The book has all the right elements that children love - a birthday, a huge chocolate cake, and some cute elephants!The book also starts off with a subtle hint to the readers that while everybody is slightly different from one another, they can be great friends and care for one another.Perfect for children aged 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.