. . until they take so long that the picnic is gone!

    Goodnight goon. Goodnight Martians taking over the moon."It's bedtime in the cold gray tomb with a black lagoon, and two slimy claws, and a couple of jaws, and a skull and a shoe and a pot full of goo. But as a little werewolf settles down, in comes the Goon determined at all costs to run amok and not let any monster have his rest.A beloved classic gets a kind-hearted send up in this utterly monsterized parody; energetic art and a hilarious text will have kids begging to read this again and again.

    But one day she sees a bird unlike any other... Can that really be a dodo? It turns out that dodos make very good friends (and are crazy about doughnuts!). But when Martha's secret gets out and the whole town wants to see her new friend, will Martha have to say good-bye to Mr. Dodo?

    His forest friends, including Badger, Hedgehog, Rabbit, and Mole all knock themselves out trying to cheer up the little guy, to no avail. In the end, all Mouse really needs is a hug! Jed Henry’s wonderful illustrations, in watercolor pastels and colored pencils, beautifully complement the spare text. Readers will love seeing all the exuberant animal antics in trees, ponds, and even underground tunnels as they try to distract their gloomy friend. A charming antidote for the blues.

    "Not me!" says Froggy, and together they leapfrog to the bus stop -- flop flop flop. Froggy's exuberant antics, complete with sound effects, will delight his many fans and reassure them that school can be fun."This is a great read-aloud with sounds and words that encourage active participation....A charming story to calm those pre-school jitters." -- School Library JournalJonathan London is the author of many books for children, including I See the Moon and the Moon Sees Me, Like Butter on Pancakes and four other books about Froggy.

    (It's common knowledge that goats are a chupacabra's favorite food!) One night, tired of living in fear, the impetuous goats whip out their trusty candelabra and head off to find the beast and scare it away before it can find them. Little do they know that candelabras are the chupacabra's third-favorite food . . . and he isn't about to stop there. This chupacabra has quite the appetite, and the goats are in for a big surprise!

    But it soon becomes clear that this "tadpole" is not turning into an ordinary frog! It'll take a little help from friends and a lot of ingenuity to feed and shelter this unusual, ever-growing pet. The Mysterious Tadpole, with its giddy mix of fantasy, adventure, and high humor, is one of Steven Kellogg's most popular books. It was an ALA Notable, an IRA-CBC Children's Choice, and won the Irma Simonton Black Award. For its anniversary, Steven has reworked aspects of the story and has created entirely new artwork in the bright, bold colors that weren't reproducible twenty-five years ago. He discusses why he wanted to revise the book in a lively author's note.

    Fix-It Duck!He's got his tools. He's smart-he's strong. What can possibly go wrong?But Duck is up to his old tricks. Now who'll end up in a fix?Jez Alborough's inimitable Duck first appeared in Duck in the Truck.

    Soon enough, she has won over her classmates and mastered all her positions. And on the opening night of "The Nutcracker," she may finally get her chance to shine!With the quiet charm of MADELINE and the sweet sass of ELOISE, here is a classic in the making. Debut author/illustrator Bob Beck brings us into Désirée's world with graceful, playful lines and splashes of color as vivid as Paris itself.

    Every step of the way, her little girl watches and asks, "What are you doing?" As playful as it is informative, this rambunctiousread-aloud features a mother and daughter making a game of their warm and wooly enterprise.

    Her dog, Bingo the basset hound, is always by her side and the two prove that they are not too little to explore nature, build forts, and make their own big fun.For fans of Fancy Nancy and Toot and Puddle, the Ladybug Girl series honors individuality, creativity, and a love of the outdoors!

    A unique book 'in two voices' that uses traditional reading teaching techniques (alliteration, rhyme, repetition, short sentences) to invite young children to read along with an adult. Each of the twelve short stories fit on one spread and features childlike themes - family, friendship, pets and seasons. With clear, color-coded typography and amusing illustrations, this collection is sure to entertain.

    . .Beautiful illustrations in this story capture the scenery and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. The buoyant text jumps along as the old lady swallows a salmon, an otter, a seal, a walrus, and more, until eventually she swallows the entire sea and the trout swims free! With a unique and fascinating setting, this pure flight of fancy gives a fresh look to a familiar poem.

    In his nest in his cave in his mountain, a dragon dreams of a girl.When a lonely dragon follows a trail of princess tears, a beautiful friendship is born. They march and sing, roar and whisper, hide and seek, then settle into snug companionship at bedtime. Barbara Joosse’s fiercely protective and gently loving dragon cavorts across the pages, endearingly illustrated by Randy Cecil. At the end of the day, who can resist curling up in the embrace of a lovabye dragon?

    The lions snoozed all day long, the elephants enjoyed their baths, and the zebras ate their hay in peace -- all because Helen was spinning webs and catching flies.But one day Helen's webs were swept away. The Keeper had the cages cleaned for the Mayor's inspection tour. Soon the flies were back again and the animals were miserable once more. But not for long...Children will be fascinated and amused by the way Helen solved the problem and won a permanent place of honor for herself in the Zoo.Margaret Bloy Graham's pictures match the wit and charm of her delightful story.