First of all, you have to find a class that meets at night. Then you have to figure out how to perfect your form when you can't see yourself in the mirror? And then there's wearing pink (not the most flattering of colors if you happen to be undead) and that nagging urge to take a little nip out of the other dancers. And worse of all STAGE FRIGHT!!!

    . . she's a puppy. A puppy who gets longer and longer as her piglet siblings get bigger and bigger. Penny doesn't understand why she's different--she only knows that Mama Pig loves her just the same as the rest of the litter. Penny's siblings are baffled by her peculiar behavior--like digging with her paws instead of her snout, and especially her loud, sharp oink. Good thing Penny likes all the sounds she can make, and when danger strikes and her peculiarities prove to be strengths, the piglets see that sometimes it's good to be a little different!

    All is peaceful until—QUACK! Is that a duck at the barn door? And now a goat? A pig? A cow? A horse? Each new unexpected guest is bigger and louder than the last! How will the sheep ever get this barnyard crowd to quiet down before—COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!

    Candace Whitman's catchy rhyming text is brought to life by a host of creepy critters from first-time illustrator Steve Wilson.

    But there are no bears here. Not on Muffin's watch.One night, Muffin hears a suspicious noise. Mouse? Raccoon? Bat? Nope, not the usual suspects. But Muffin hears . . . growling. Could it be? Yup. A bear. Just a cub. Whose stomach is definitely growling. Muffin's got this case solved--clearly this bear needs some donuts.

    Along the way they find friends to guide and support them, and when the new day dawns, it is full of promise. With gorgeous, richly realized illustrations and immense hope at its heart, Rain Before Rainbows holds out a ray of sunshine for anyone looking for light.

    Wolf just can’t catch a break! Ever since the three little pigs started teaching everyone Ninja skills, huffing and puffing just hasn’t been enough to scare up a good meal. His craving for meat sends Wolf to classes at the dojo, and soon he’s ready to try out his new moves. A little girl and her tiny granny should be easy targets--right? Not if Little Red has anything to say about it! Kiya!

    But . . . will Nanette get the baguette from baker Juliette? Or will Nanette soon be beset with regret?

    Then Skunk. Then Wolf comes running."What could it possibly be?" asks Bat."Night Animals!" the animals declare."But you are night animals," Bat informs this not-so-smart crew.Children will love the oh-so-funny animals in this twist on a cozy bedtime book.

    So fluffy that he's lighter than air! His owner tries to weigh him down, but Papillon just wants to fly. One particularly sunny day, he floats right out the window! Exploring the wide world is exhilarating, but it's also a little scary. Will his new friend, a bird, be able to help him find his way home?Whimsical art and airy text come together seamlessly in this delightful debut by A. N. Kang.

    The sky so high, the ocean so deep, and the mountains so steep--all these things are magnificent from it's point of view. But in the eyes of it's mother--this little penguin is the biggest, most important thing in the world! This beautiful story is highlighted with foil on the cover and throughout.

    . . books! Books make the perfect pets, the boy decides, and chooses a bright red one. When it goes missing, a lively adventure is in store for readers who love a happy ending. Soon kids everywhere will wish for a pet book of their very own.

    The bear is loud, messy, uncouth, and very strong (too strong!). For some reason, his parents treat the bear like family, despite his protests. Why can't they see? Then he runs into some bullies on the playground. When the bear ROOAARS with all her might and scares them away, he realizes that there are advantages to having a bear in the family. In a delightful twist, the narrator's older sister (the bear) appears, telling him that she is NOT a bear. But if she is, HE is too--because two bears are even better than one!

    There are twists and turns, falls and scrapes, and obstacles that seem insurmountable until you learn to see the possibilities within them. And then there is the moment of triumph, when there's nothing above you but sky and nothing below but a goal achieved.Ashima Shiraishi draws on her experience as a world-class climber in this story that challenges readers to tackle the problems in their own lives and rise to greater heights than they would have ever thought possible.

    I don’t need any help,” he declares. But it doesn’t work! Jabari is frustrated. Good thing Dad is there for a pep talk and his little sister, Nika, is there to assist, fairy wings and all. With the endearing father-child dynamic of Jabari Jumps and engaging mixed-media illustrations, Gaia Cornwall’s tale shows that through perseverance and flexibility, an inventive thought can become a brilliant reality.