. . and his voice. The entire village is silenced by grief, and the young child's anger at the ocean grows. Then one day his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, begins a mysterious project—building a phone booth in his garden. At first Makio is puzzled; the phone isn't connected to anything. It just sits there, unable to ring. But as more and more villagers are drawn to the phone booth, its purpose becomes clear to Makio: the disconnected phone is connecting people to their lost loved ones. Makio calls to the sea to return what it has taken from him and ultimately finds his voice and solace in a phone that carries words on the wind.The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden is inspired by the true story of the wind phone in Otsuchi, Japan, which was created by artist Itaru Sasaki. He built the phone booth so he could speak to his cousin who had passed, saying, "My thoughts couldn't be relayed over a regular phone line, I wanted them to be carried on the wind." The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the town of Otsuchi, claiming 10 percent of the population. Residents of Otsuchi and pilgrims from other affected communities have been traveling to the wind phone since the tsunami.

    But when Hrothgar breaks his oath he breaks his kingdom, and the only thing that will save it is a family he’s forgotten and heroes not yet born… "These broadly adapted retellings add a lot of fun and fighting to the basic bones of the classic tales!" —A Parent’s Guide To The Best Kids' Comics

    "Why do I have such enormous feet, Grandad?" he sighed. "All hares have big feet, young Harris," said Grandad. And so begins a beautiful and remarkable story about a child's journey to independence. With help from his grandfather, Harris learns how to use his enormous feet to hop high into the sky. He climbs to the tops of mountains and runs really fast until suddenly he is on his own. Gorgeous and highly imaginative watercolors illustrate how Harris not only learns about the world around him, but also discovers the importance of finding his own feet. From the author and illustrator of Augustus and His Smile, winner of one of Child Magazine's Best Children's Book Awards.

    But before she went, she got to say good-bye to Lottie. Then she got to follow a light to a bustling gate. (A gate that sounded a lot like a busy airport!) And there she found a crew of friends who were waiting to take off with her on a new journey. Will Lottie and Herbie be able to overcome their sadness? They will, with time, and by taking a journey of their own—a journey filled with a little heartache, a lot of happiness, and a batch of Aunt Mattie’s favorite peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches. (With bananas, of course!)

    Anything can happen on such a walk: you might pass a cat, or a friend, or even an early raccoon. And as you go down your street and around the corner, the windows around you light up one by one until you are walking through a maze of paper lanterns, each one granting you a brief, glowing snapshot of your neighbors as families come together and folks settle in for the night. With a setting that feels both specific and universal and a story full of homages to The Snowy Day, Julia Denos and E. B. Goodale have created a singular book — at once about the idea of home and the magic of curiosity, but also about how a sense of safety and belonging is something to which every child is entitled.

    When a shy brown puppy appears at her front gate, the old woman won’t name it, because it might not outlive her. Tender watercolors capture the charm of this heartwarming story of an old woman who doesn’t know she’s lonely until she meets a plucky puppy who needs a name—and someone to love. “Rylant and Brown together create with affection and lovingly humorous touches a glimpse of old age lived with relish.” —Booklist

    . .It’s Llama Llama’s first day of preschool! And Llama Llama’s mama makes sure he’s ready. They meet the teachers. See the other children. Look at all the books and games. But then it’s time for Mama to leave. And suddenly Llama Llama isn’t so excited anymore. Will Mama Llama come back?Of course she will. But before she does, the other children show Llama Llama how much fun school can be!Activities for Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna DewdneyWatch a Video

    where its entire life changes with the switch of a button. Sucked into the void of a vacuum bag, this one little bug moves through denial, bargaining, anger, despair and eventually acceptance -- the five stages of grief -- as it comes to terms with its fate. Will there be a light at the end of the tunnel? Will there be dust bunnies in the void? A funny, suspenseful and poignant look at the travails of a bug trapped in a vacuum.

    Great for siblings, too! --Red TricycleAfter reading aloud, listeners might discover their own ways to unbudge curmudgeons.--Publishers WeeklyPlayful language and a subtly rhyming text create an enjoyable read-aloud about frustrations and bad moods. --BooklistWhat do you do with a curmudgeon that just won't budge? Why, shake off the grumpy 'tude and embrace the fun!Have you ever seen a curmudgeon that looks like your brother, but is in such a bad mood you hardly recognize him? You can try all the peanut butter sandwiches and brownies you have, but he is not moving.Nothing works, especially nudging, and he just makes you so grumpy that eventually you have no choice but to fight back--and then...Have you ever become a curmudgeon that just won't budge?Matthew Burgess's playful depiction of bad moods and sibling rivalry is matched perfectly by Fiona Woodcock's unique childlike art style.

    America, we hear you singing! With vivid illustrations by Kaylani Juanita, Samara Cole Doyon sings a carol for the plenitude that surrounds us and the self each of us is meant to inhabit.

    They fly together all day, and become fast friends. But when they visit Jim's village, their fun ends. They are met with stares and rude remarks. The other seagulls don't like Jack because he looks different.Then Jim discovers that Jack can do something no other seagull can -- he can read! It is the strength of Jim and Jack's friendship -- and the remarkable power of story -- that eventually opens the minds and changes the hearts of the village seagulls.

    He thinks hugs are too squeezy, too squashy, too squooshy, too smooshy. He doesn’t like hello hugs or goodbye hugs, game-winning home run hugs or dropped ice cream cone hugs, and he definitely doesn’t like birthday hugs. He’d much rather give a high five—or a low five, a side five, a double five, or a spinny five. Yup, some people love hugs; other people don’t. So how can you tell if someone likes hugs or not? There’s only one way to find out: Ask! Because everybody gets to decide for themselves whether they want a hug or not.

    In fact they even make a plan. Mike tells Corky that they will always do everything together—forever. It is their Forever Plan.And it works well. From one year to the next Corky is right there with Mike. Until one day, when Mike comes home from school and Corky isn't there . . . The story of how Mike comes to accept Corky's death forms a simple, poignant portrait of a special friendship that both celebrates the joys of owning a pet and becomes a heartfelt guide for anyone who is coping with the loss of a loved one.

    Books feature appealing full-color illustrations on every page plus a page of advice to parents and teachers.

    Now in America, she watches fall leaves fly past her feet. Still, her family’s apartment feels like a village: Mama cooking luchi, funny stories in Bangla, and Baba’s big laugh. But outside, everything is different – trick-or-treating, ballet class, and English books.Back and forth, Shanti trudges between her two worlds. She remembers her village and learns her new town. She watches Bollywood movies at home and Hollywood movies with her friends. She is Indian. She is also American. How should she define home?