. . until a dog fetches her for its owner, and she is tossed into a bird's nest. A mountain? No, Petra is now an egg! An egg of the world in a world of possibility. Until she's flung into a pond, and becomes an amazing island . . . and, eventually, a little girl's pet rock. What will she be tomorrow? Who knows? But she's a rock, and this is how she rolls!

    Kids will love to see their own quirks reflected in these adorably rendered creatures, and perhaps will be comforted to know that—just like them—narwhals can be perfectly happy all on their own and quail also get tired of being told to be quiet.

    But when Gertrude takes up a new hobby, Miss Rosemary is faced with a problem: how do you milk a flying cow? First Miss Rosemary tries to lure Gertrude down with a fresh bale of alfalfa, then she tries to catch the cow with a fishing rod, next she tries to rope Gertrude with a lasso. Nothing works until Miss Rosemary has a brilliant idea. She makes a new cow, -Matilda, out of fabric and stuffing. When Gertrude sees she has been replaced, she decides to return to earth. Once there she finds a new hobby--driving the tractor.

    In the bestselling spirit of Karen Katz, Anna Walker’s simple, appealing text and gentle illustrations are ideal for a young audience. Runaway hits in Australia, the Ollie books are easy to love and hard to put down, and I Love Birthdays is a delightful treat for parents and children to share year round.

    Hank is a pill bug with a busy life—for a pill bug, that is. His daily routine involves nibbling a dead leaf, climbing up a long stick, avoiding a skateboarder, and playing pretend with his best friend, a human girl named Amelia, in her backyard. And when day is done, Hank likes nothing better than returning home to his cozy rock.

    Wave good-bye to the sun, gently press the firefly, make a wish on a star, rub the owls on their heads, and . . . shhhh. No two readings of this book will be the same. That along with the gentle, soothing rhythm, makes Touch the Brightest Star a bedtime winner—no matter how many times you and your child read it.