Stories to Grow On. Size is 5 by 5 3/4 inches.

    Organized in a familiar ABC structure, everyday words and expressions-as well as words that have special significance in Japanese culture-offer even very young children an enticing glimpse into Japanese daily life. This delightfully illustrated preschool book shows each word in Kanji and Hiragana as well as in Romanized form. Teachers and parents-bilingual and English-speaking only alike-will appreciate the book's cultural and linguistic notes, while Kenji and his friends encourage young readers to join the fun!

    Now this curious little puppy is ready to win the hearts and minds of a new generation of kids.

    But Plumpkin and Bun Bun, the mean ponies she shares a farm with, say that Ponyella's farm chores make her too dirty to be a champion. With a little help from Ponyella's fairy godmare, her coat becomes marshmallow white once again, and her mane silky and beautiful. It's love at first sight for Princess Penelope and Ponyella - but what will happen when the magic runs out at noon? From the best-selling author-illustrator team of the What Mommies Do Best/What Daddies Do Best books comes a playful rendition of Cinderella with an original twist!

    But who will be her partner? The Dish is already dancing with the Spoon, and Hansel is spinning Gretel like sugar. You won’t believe what big eyes, sharp teeth, and long snout her partner has…all the better to spin her with!

    Here are all the classic tales: the greedy dog who loses his bone to his own reflection in the water; the little mouse who pays back the grand lion in a big, big way; and the shepherd's son who thinks it's a good joke to cry "Wolf!" just to see the villagers come running. And, of course, there's that arrogant hare and his racing partner, the slow but steady tortoise. Michael Morpurgo's lively language gives each tale a fresh feel that's perfect for reading aloud and sharing. Emma Chichester Clark's radiant illustrations are bursting with bold colors and cheerful characters. Together they have created a modern classic brimming with fun, which children will enjoy reading and laughing over again and again.

    There’s no way she’ll be picked as the Fairiest Fairy. Or is there?Betty can’t paint a rainbow or scatter dewdrops, and her pirouettes are, well, pretty precarious. With so many animals to rescue and friends to help, there’s just no time for Betty to perfect all the things a fairy is supposed to know how to do. But when the fairy ball arrives, Betty’s friends return her gifts of kindness in hopes that the King and Queen will decide that Betty truly is the Fairiest Fairy of them all!

    Though each friend is very different from one another, they enjoy each other's company. Until one day when they begin quarreling and compete to see which one is the best. The bear can pile up rocks the highest. The cowboy can collect the most raspberries. The ninja can catch the most rabbits. When each contest leads to more resentment, it seems the friends will never stop disagreeing. Only when they learn to be considerate of their differences do they finally realize how much they appreciate each other. The cute, yet stylized artwork combined with a fun story about friendship and celebrating differences make this legend an unforgettable one. This playfully illustrated picture book also includes instructions for the Ninja-Cowboy-Bear game, which is similar to Rock Paper Scissors except that kids use their whole body.

    With the departure of the bird's flock, the lion decides that it's up to him to care for the bird. He does and the two become fast friends. Nevertheless, the bird departs with his flock the following spring. What will become of Lion and what will become of their friendship?Marianne Dubuc received her degree in graphic design from the University of Quebec, Montreal. She has created many different kinds of books for readers of all ages. She is an internationally acclaimed illustrator whose work has been published by major publishers in fifteen countries.

    First written in 1899, the story has become a childhood classic and the authorized American edition with the original drawings by the author has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Little Black Sambo is a book that speaks the common language of all nations, and has added more to the joy of little children than perhaps any other story. They love to hear it again and again; to read it to themselves; to act it out in their play.

    . .he trails a colony of penguins, undulates in a smack of jellyfish,clasps hands with a constellation of stars, naps for a night in a bed of clams,and follows a trail of shells, home to his tribe of friends.If Lane Smith's Caldecott Honor Book Grandpa Green was an homage to aging and the end of life, There Is a Tribe of Kids is a meditation on childhood and life's beginning. Smith's vibrant sponge-paint illustrations and use of unusual collective nouns such as smack and unkindness bring the book to life. Whimsical, expressive, and perfectly paced, this story plays with language as much as it embodies imagination.

    This beautifully illustrated, humorous, and insightful picture book offers a new twist on the classic boy-and-his-dog story!On a rainy day, Frank’s parents take him to the shelter to get a new dog. That’s how Frank finds Lucky, and from that moment on, they’re inseparable. As Frank and Lucky venture out into the world around them, they discover they both have a lot to learn. Exploring their neighborhood teaches them about biology: Lucky learns all about squirrels, deer, and—unfortunately for Frank—skunks. Sharing a bed teaches them about fractions—what happens when one dog takes up three-quarters of the bed, or even the whole thing? They even learn different languages: Frank makes a friend who speaks Spanish and Lucky tries to learn Duck! Who knew you could learn so much without ever setting foot inside a classroom?

    First published in 1921, the poem's message about the individual worth of those often overlooked strikes a familiar chord in a society struggling to come to terms with its own victims of homelessness, drug abuse, and alienation.The poem is made new with the addition of Greg Newbold's illustrations. Newbold's images -- which are rich in detail, and made even more so by his use of color and light and his painterly style -- evoke a bygone era that is old-fashioned, small-town, pleasantly nostalgic. Newbold's work in Touch of the Master's Hand has already been recognized by the Society of Illustrators and Communication Arts magazine with a 1996 Award of Merit.

    She has been a girl who lived under the sea and a boy raised by wolves. She has had adventures in wonderland and visited the world of fairytales. She whispers to the dresses in her closet and talks to birds in the treetops. She has wings that take her anywhere she wants to go, but that always bring her home again. She likes to make things -- boats out of boxes and castles out of cushions. But more than anything Sadie likes stories, because you can make them from nothing at all. For Sadie, the world is so full of wonderful possibilities ... This is Sadie, and this is her story.

    But just as he begins to drift off, he's awoken by a tremendous roar. SNOOOOGA-SNOOOOOM! KER-SCHUPPP! Sleeping Beauty is snoring . . . again! When the handsome Prince Max arrives, Mouse thinks he's found the perfect scheme: He'll convince the prince to kiss Beauty and wake her up! But when Prince Max learns that Beauty is the one making such monstrous noises, will he still want to kiss her . . . or will he run away from the noisy princess, leaving her snoring for another hundred years?