And when a beaming rainbow, bold and bright cuts through the sky, everyone gets to experience the joy of all the colors that can only come after the rain.

      There are seven steps to becoming a proper lion, including Looking Fierce, Roaring, Prowling Around, and Pouncing. Our young hero, a rather meek and scrawny human boy, does his best to learn the necessary skills during his training with a master instructor (who just happens to be a real lion). After a grueling set of lessons, the boy discovers that that the final step—Looking Out for Your Friends—is the most important of all. That’s how any kid can earn his lion diploma (not to mention the affection of every cat in town).

    In his tiny backyard next door to hers, Larry grows the most extraordinary vegetables. Grace loves helping him - watering and weeding, planting and pruning, hoeing and harvesting. And whenever there's a problem - like bugs burrowing into the carrots or slugs chewing the lettuce - Grace and Larry solve it together. Grace soon learns that Larry has big plans for the vegetables in his special garden. And when that garden faces its biggest problem yet, Grace follows Larry's example to find the perfect solution.Inspired by a real person, author Laura Alary has written a heartwarming story about how amazing things can grow when you tend your garden with kindness. In this case, Larry, a teacher, is helping to grow community. He has his students grow tomato plants that they then give away to their neighbors with personal notes. It offers a powerful lesson on the influence of generosity, while encouraging young children to become community activists in their own neighborhoods. This uplifting story fosters an appreciation for neighborhood and community at a time when that sentiment seems to be eroding. The book also contains an environmental message about harvesting your own vegetables and, with Kass Reich's colorful illustrations, works beautifully for a life science exploration of growth and changes in plants. There are character education connections to caring, cooperation, empathy, kindness, perseverance and teamwork.

    Loving raven parents take their little Rosie just the way she is.In the beginning, Rosie tries to do everything her siblings do. She opens her mouth to receive worms from her parents, tries to caw until she is hoarse, and wildly flaps her arms in an attempt to fly. The neighbors offer encouragement. “Rub it with birch leaves. That will make its feathers grow!”Rosie finally realizes she is different. Maybe she can’t caw or fly, but a world of discovery awaits her nonetheless.Helga Bansch’s exquisite artwork of collages and colored images, including comic-style panels, bring humor, mood, and emotion to Rosie’s story. The reader is drawn to Rosie from the instant she pushes herself from the egg, smiling and happy to greet her family, oblivious to her differences.

    Well, almost everything . . . Ooko wants someone to play with too! The foxes in town always seem to be playing with their two-legged friends, the Debbies. Maybe if he tries to look like the other foxes, one of the Debbies will play with him too. But when Ooko finally finds his very own Debbie, things don't turn out quite as he had expected!A quirky, funny, charmingly illustrated story about finding friendship and being true to yourself.

    But wait! A bullfrog leaps, a rabbit rustles, deer appear, a chickadee chirps, and ten nine eight seven six five four three two one by one the turtles dive into the water. Splash!

    Her parents are busy with their own projects, so she puts on her raincoat and goes outside to play. Suddenly she hears the thunder roar, and shivers with excitement. She sticks out her tongue to catch raindrops. They taste like clouds. She notices a group of red ants zigzagging along a trail and asks "Where are you going?" The ants reply, "We're going to a show." Camille embarks on an adventure to discover what the show is about and the astounding beauty to be found by closely observing her surroundings.

    Sylvia sits in front of him at school, and he's so in love with her, she's all he can see. But sadly, Sylvia doesn't see him. In fact, it seems the only thing Sylvia has eyes for is birds. “There are birds on her pants and dresses. She wears bird barrettes in her hair. She draws birds on her notebooks and folders. And when she speaks, her voice sounds like birdsong.” So in a bold attempt to get Sylvia's attention, the boy decides to go to school dressed up as a bird. He endures the stares and giggles of his classmates, and a great deal of discomfort, but the boy doesn't care. Because when it comes to love, sometimes you have no choice but to follow your heart and spread your wings.In this sweetly funny picture book, Ingrid Chabbert perfectly captures the emotional essence of a child's first love. The boy's voice as narrator is realistic and endearing as he engagingly and honestly shares the wonder of his experience. With imagination and gentle humor, Guridi uses spare lines in mostly black and white drawings to tenderly express the poignant heart of the story. This book offers a terrific exploration of young children's self-discovery and self-expression, as well as the early development of social skills. It makes a wonderful read-aloud to launch a classroom discussion about relationships and feelings.

    Perfect for anyone who loves the natural world--or wonders about the origins of their holiday tree.On the morning little Zee Cooper is born, a Douglas-fir seedling emerges from the nursery bed at her family's Christmas tree farm. As Zee and the tree grow up together, they experience many of the same milestones. When Zee starts preschool, her tree is ready to start life outside the nursery. As Zee outgrows all her clothes, her tree grows taller, too. When Zee gets a whole new look for kindergarten, her tree gets a spiffy transformation as well. And as the years go on, Zee takes loving care of her tree, watering it through heat waves and protecting it from winter winds. Combining interesting details about how trees are grown and cared for on a farm with the sweet story of a friendship between a girl and her special tree, Zee Grows a Tree offers a blend of fiction and nonfiction that will draw the interest of young nature lovers everywhere. In the back of the book, readers will find an index, bibliography, and an author's note suggesting some ways to enjoy a holiday tree without cutting one down.

    They find just the right food for every creature—except for the two chameleons. These picky eaters won’t eat anything! Noah is worried! What will tempt these two? It is not until the ark’s food supply is suddenly threatened, that Noah gets a surprising answer—and discovers that even the SMALLEST creatures have a BIG role to play in nature!

    Leveraging the natural and universal fascination that children have with animals, the book utilises hints and recognition to build a sense of anticipation on each page, that is resolved on the following page when the identity of the animal is discovered. Young readers are engaged in the process of deduction by drawing on visual prompts and clues such as where an animal may live, what the animal may look like and sounds the animal makes. The effect is that each page presents an engaging yet accessible mini mystery for the child to solve. Accordingly, the young reader's inevitable participation in the process of discovery is ensures the book's enjoyment.

    I love giving you a big s-moo-ch. My love for you is as big as . . . a MOO-SE! With a universal message and warm, funny text that families will read and reread together, this exuberant book from two picture book superstars at their best, is a moo-velous choice for gifts year-round to fans of I Love You to the Moon and Back and Guess How Much I Love You.

    Meet Roly Poly Pangolin?a little pangolin who?d rather stick close to his mama instead of facing anything unfamiliar. Whether it?s a line of ants, a friendly monkey, or a loud noise, Roly Poly runs the other way. Then he hears something that really scares him. So he does what all pangolins do when they?re frightened?he rolls up into a tiny ball. But Roly Poly is surprised when he finally peeks out, because another ball is peeking back . . . it?s a small pangolin just like him!Anna Dewdney has created another irresistible character to reassure children about the world around them.

    Here, the homes are on stilts and everyone travels around by boat—even to school! When the rainy season comes, they must leave their village and relocate to higher ground for a while. But after moving this year, Cauã and Inaê realize they’ve left behind something important: their pet tortoise, Titi! Unlike turtles, tortoises can’t swim, and Cauã and Inaê are really worried. So the pair sneaks back at night on a journey along the river to rescue him. Will they be able to save Titi?This picture book, first published in Brazil, offers kids a unique look into the lives of children who live along Brazil’s beautiful Tapajós River.

    This line of books features rhyming text and delightful artwork that is embellished with foil throughout.