These stories contain a wealth of wonderful characters and ideas, all with the colorful, dreamlike quality of the very best fairy tales. Illustrations.

    One night, a great storm washes a small whale onto the beach. The boy discovers the whale is a good listener. The father discovers the boy is lonely. Together, they return the whale to the sea. And from that day on, the boy learns that the father can be a good listener too, in Benji Davies's heartwarming tale, The Storm Whale.

    He was black too. And that is how the trouble began. Everything in Winnie's house is black - the carpet, the chairs, the bed and the sheets, the pictures on the walls, and even the bathtub! And of course her cat, Wilbur, is black too - all except for his bright-green eyes. Whenever poor Wilbur closes his eyes and tries to take a catnap, Winnie stumbles right over him. Or accidentally sits on top of him. Until one day, when Winnie gets a brilliant idea. What if Wilbur were a different color?

    One day a great expanse of gray steel, which also shines a bright light into the fog and darkness, is built over it. The little red lighthouse feels insignificant and useless in comparison but soon learns that . . . small can be mighty!

    The doll family are owned by two sisters, Emily and Charlotte, and are very happy, except for one thing: they long for a proper home.

    Suddenly he feels a light tap on his shoe, and a strange and magical adventure begins.

    As the years pass, she repeats an incredible journey across the world to the beautiful coral reefs. But one day she finds that plastic has invaded her beloved ocean. Could Turtle's journey be over forever?

    Beginning with two cats, one black and one white, a chain of animals appears before the reader, linked together by at least one common trait. From simple colors and shapes to more complex and abstract associations, each unexpected encounter celebrates the magnificent diversity of our world—and ultimately paints a story of connection. Brendan Wenzel's joyous, rhythmic text and exuberant art encourage readers to delight in nature's infinite differences and to look for—and marvel at—its gorgeous similarities. It all starts with a simple "Hello."

    He was there to open his present--a teddy bear--and to watch his older sisters and brother open their gifts. His siblings went off to play with each other's new toys, but nobody wanted to play with Morris's bear. So Morris found something new to play with--a disappearing bag. He jumped right in and became invisible! Now he has something everybody wants to try. But they have to find him first. This warm and humorous story proves that sometimes the littlest bunny gets the last laugh.* "Irresistible . . . The author-artist does some wonderful things with Morris's cars and eyes, expressing exactly the sentiments of a put-out preschool rabbit."--Booklist, starred review

    One day three white mice discover three jars of paint--red, blue, and yellow. But what happens when they splash in the colors, mixing the red and blue? Or dance in the blue and yellow? This playful introduction to colors will appeal to any budding artist or curious preschooler.

    When the baby dinosaur hatches out, he's so out of place that his grisly big sisters call him Tyrannosaurus Drip.

    “Bold lines accentuate imaginative, humorous ideas. A natural for student response: students formulate their own outcomes about what would happen if the dinosaurs returned. An overwhelming favorite in the early grades.”--The Reading Teacher

    It's a dark day for Itching Down. Four million wasps have just descended on the town, and the pests are relentless! What can be done? Bap the Baker has a crazy idea that just might work. Young readers will love this lyrical, rhyming text as they watch the industrious citizens of Itching Down knead, bake, and slather the biggest wasp trap there ever was!

    until, at last, he falls asleep.

    But how will his roaring go over at the library? Has Dinosaur finally met his match in Storytime? By combining everyone's favorite feisty red dinosaur with a variety of animals and a celebration of reading, author-illustrator-designer Bob Shea has created another irresistable romp for toddlers and parents to enjoy together.