"Sometimes I wish that, too. But most of the time our little family feels just right to me. Love is what makes a family, and we've got plenty of that."Irrepressible young Lily loves her mother dearly. But when it's time for Family Fun Night at her school, she worries...and worries. What will the other kids think when she just brings her mother? Will they be the strangest family there?But when they arrive at Family Fun Night, Lily sees all her friends having fun with their families -- of every shape, size, and-color. She learns that there are as many ways of showing love as there are stars in the sky.In this enchanting, beautifully illustrated story, beloved actress Roma Downey shows children that family should not be defined by mother, father, and child, but by love.

    When snow cuts off the mail until spring, only postman John Thompson can get through the Sierra Nevada Mountains to deliver his letter. "Based on a true story, this is lively historical fiction with a nice sense of character and adventure, [and] the illustrations are packed with feeling and action." —BL. Notable 1992 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)

    The story of a package that gets lost, then found and an in-depth behind the scenes look at what happens at the post office.

    Young readers will be soothed and delighted as this story introduces them to different types of hibernating animals. The creatures on the train are preparing to snuggle into sleep, although with a passenger list that includes chipmunks, bears, snakes, hedgehogs, groundhogs, frogs, turtles, mice, bats, and more, there’s a lot of noise! Will the hibernating critters ever get to sleep? Take a trip to Hibernation Station to find out!

    Now he sleeps on their beds, lets them dress him up in doll clothes, and laps up warm milk on chilly nights. But where does Charlie go during the day? It's not until a storm keeps Charlie away one night that the two sisters discover his other, daytime, home. But maybe that's not such a bad thing. Because, just like Elizabeth and Sarah, Charlie has two houses, two beds, and two families who love him very, very much!

    As a result of his fascination, his aunt makes him an apron of his own and he spends a few days as his Uncle Adam's assistant. The text is brief and simple but clearly conveys the warmth between the man and his nephew and the child's satisfaction in a job well done. The line/tissue paper illustrations are colorful and somewhat geometric, reminiscent of French Cubist Leger's work featuring laborers. An added bonus is the child-size apron that comes with the book, but the story will be enjoyed with or without the tangible item.- SLJ

    . . a truck? Yes, a truck! And a truck . . . And a truck . . . And a railroad car, if it gets stuck. A truck, a train, a car, a plane can all be lifted with a crane." From poet Rebecca Kai Dotlich and artist Mike Lowery comes a rollicking picture book about cranes--the kind that pick things up! We start with pipes and bricks and loads of steel and then move on to funny, whimsical objects: a cow, a ferris wheel, men in business suits, and an ancient mummy's case. With a rhyme that begs to be read aloud again and again, and quirky, exuberant illustrations, this book is sure to delight kids and parents alike. But watch out: "Cranes pick UP--that's what they do! Look out, or a crane might pick up you!

    Millie is unlike most other cows.  She chews her cud and grazes in the fields with the others, but she doesn't enjoy that nearly as much as she loves scaring the mail carrier.  It's too bad the mail carrier doesn't have as much fun each time Millie comes up with a new way to surprise him.  Who knew delivering the mail was going to be such a difficult job?Reading Level: 4 and up

    What is large (or small), bright yellow, and filled with students? School Bus! Climb aboard and let Donald Crews take you to school -- and home again.

    "Kids who love trucks will enjoy this adaptation" (School Library Journal).When the three little rigs set out to build their own garages, each one thinks that his is going to be the strongest. But then the big bad wrecking ball comes to call and threatens to smash their new homes to smithereens. The brothers learn that it’s only by bravery and teamwork that they can win the day.

    Get to know biplanes, carriers, gliders, jets, and many more vehicles of flight in this book filled with bold, graphic illustrations that soar off the pages!

    Across the road, Small Fred the tractor is busy with the Pumpkin Picking Festival, but he's just too small to pull all of the people who want to go on a hayride. Working together, Tractor Mac and Small Fred figure out a way to share their chores and share the fun.

    FIRE! FIRE! Big trucks roll out of the firehouse and race to the scene. Out come the soft hoses and aerial ladders.Whether the fire is in the city or in the country, on the waterfront or in a deep forest, fire fighters are on the scene in moments, ready to attack the blaze.Fire! Fire! teaches beginning readers about the important job of fire fighters in the community. The book includes a glossary in the back with fire-fighting equipment keywords as well as a list of ways to prevent a fire and what to do if there is a fire.

    Every spring the grand old tree flowered and bore cherries for the squirrels and birds that made their homes in her leafy branches. And every year, seeds from the tree scattered in the wind, along with many millions of leaves. Mary Newell DePalma creates an emotional tale of life and renewal, of nature's bounty and quiet balance, illustrated with simple images made powerful with vivid colors and moving compositions.

    Brian Karas share the nighttime experience of a father and child.When the sun sets, Dad's job as a school custodian is just beginning. What is it like to work on a Friday night while the rest of the city is asleep? There's the smell of lilacs in the night air, the dusky highway in the moonlight, and glimpses of shy nighttime animals to make the dark magical. Shooting baskets in the half-lit gym, sweeping the stage with the game on the radio, and reading out loud to his father in the library all help the boy's time pass quickly. But what makes the night really special is being with Dad. Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse's quietly powerful story of a boy and his father is tenderly brought to life by G. Brian Karas in this luminous tribute to an enduring, everyday sort of love.