This year, Otis wants to do something special for Sydney’s birthday. So he decides to throw a surprise party and invite all their friends. He mails the invitations, decorates the house, and bakes a cake, but when things don’t go as planned, how will Otis make sure that Sydney has the best birthday ever? A sweet and tender tale by the New York Times #1 bestselling author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and the Jellybeans series, Otis & Sydney and the Best Birthday Ever introduces young readers to two lovable bears who understand that friendship is the only thing needed to make any day special."Andreasen's digitally colored pen-and-ink drawings nearly jump off the page, maximizing the similarities between the two unabashedly adorable bears and frequently arranging themselves in paneled vignettes whose balance further reinforces the harmony between the two—just right for this simple story of friendship for the very young." —Kirkus Reviews "Books don’t come much cozier or any less threatening than this." –Booklist

    When a thunderstorm knocks out the electricity, his tech empire comes tumbling down, and his whole world loses power.He needs batteries--FAST. But the only triple A's he can find are in his little sister's talking doll. Will he resort to desperate measures and cause his little sister to have a meltdown of her own? Or will be snap out of his computer craze long enough to realize he can have fun with her, even without batteries?Suzanne Collins, author of the bestselling Hunger Games trilogy, and award-winning illustrator Mike Lester team up for a hilarious and timely tale that will crack up young computer addicts and those who love them.

    And now this stunning gift set invites friends and family to gather and enjoy the magic of holiday storytelling at its finest.

    It couldn't be the raisins Little Jumbo spit out at the ceiling or the bath he refused to take--after all, Little Jumbo's dad knew he hated raisins and had already taken a bath that week! Luckily, Little Jumbo is such a thoughtful elephant that he decides to turn his dad's bad day around with some of his--ahem, his dad's --favorite things. How to Cheer up Dad is a standout debut featuring a charmingly oblivious little elephant with serious pluck and staying power. It turns the parent-child roles upside down is a great book for dads and the kids who make them laugh.

    Playing house, Wendell was the father, the mother, and the children; Sophie was the dog. Playing bakery, Wendell was the baker; Sophie got to be the sweet roll. But when Wendell gave her a new hairdo with shaving cream, it was the last straw, and Sophie made up a game that left Wendell speechless for a time—and won the day for friendship.Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Kitten's First Full Moon, and Chrysanthemum, this classic picture book is "a hilarious read-aloud" (The Bulletin).Whether shared at home or in the classroom, this picture book for ages 3-7 will make kids laugh in recognition.

    Mog always seems to be in trouble because she is such a very forgetful cat. She forgets that she has a cat flap and she forgets when she has already eaten her supper. But one night, when an uninvited visitor turns up at the house, Mog's forgetfulness comes in very handy!

    Their new neighborhood in the city of Toronto is very different from their home in the Saskatchewan bush, and at first everything about “there” seems better than “here.”The little girl’s dad has just finished building a dam across the Saskatchewan River, and his new project is to build a highway through Toronto. In Saskatchewan, he would come home for lunch every day, but now he doesn’t come until supper. The family used to love to look at the stars, and the northern lights dancing in the night sky. But in the city, all they can see is the glare from the streetlights. All the kids used to run and play together, but now older brother Doug has his own friends.Then one day there is a knock on the door. It is Anne, who lives kitty-corner and is also eight, going on nine, and suddenly living in Toronto takes on a whole new light.Laurel Croza and Matt James have beautifully captured the voice and intense feelings of a young child who, in the midst of upheaval, finds hope in her new surroundings.

    It's looking like it might be a pretty boring vacation, but one day, something exciting happens. Someone starts fixing up the old fountain down the street--the one Grandpa says horses used to drink from before everyone had cars--and a sign appears: "Calling All Goldfish Looking for a Summer Home." H, Little O, and Baby Em can't wait to send their goldfish on vacation, and the fish, well, they seem pretty excited too. Based on the true story of Hamilton Fountain in New York City.

    Together, the two form a special friendship and enjoy life at sea until both the healing process and the journey must come to an end. In the tradition of the classic Amos & Boris, South is a story about making new friends and the bittersweet process of saying good-bye to the ones we love. It beautifully depicts the power of new beginnings and the freedom in coming home.

    Nobody keeps records of slaves' birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows up and marries, but he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows exactly what he must do: He will mail himself to the North. After an arduous journey in the crate, Henry finally has a birthday -- his first day of freedom.

    But Lula prefers to study cookbooks rather than spellbooks (and hates to fly on a broom). Lula wants to be a famous chef. In desperation, the Aunties insist she try to make one last potion. Lula secretly adds her cooking flair and in true witchy fashion creates a brew that bewitches the entire town, and her Aunties too! This fun rhyming tale transcends the typical Halloween story to appeal to cooks and "foodies" throughout the year.

    Hibbins's cats!Ike's plans for a peaceful cruise with Mrs. LaRue are thwarted when their neighbor, Mrs. Hibbins, falls suddenly ill from heat stroke. Mrs. LaRue suggests that she and Ike care for her cats while Mrs. Hibbins is in the hospital, inviting them along on the cruise. But cats aren't allowed, and Mrs. LaRue decides to take them all on a week's vacation of road-tripping.Ike begs and begs for bus fare in his letters to Mrs. Hibbins, but why does she not respond? As they drive farther and farther from the coast, his wistful dreams of (cont'd)

    Miss McGillicuddy's simple country routine continues through-out the year in spite of a very unusual tree growing in her yard.

    But once they get into a nightly groove, Izzy and her friends grow tired of their same old spots. Shaking things up doesn't go over so well with Mom and Dad, so Spoon and Dish run off for an adventure of their own. Lonely without her favorite tablemates, Izzy will need to find a way to convince Spoon and Dish to come back to the table.Perfect for any kid who has ever resisted a daily task, this clever, pun-filled story is gentle reminder that every dish has its place, and that injecting some creativity into daily tasks can make even the dullest ones lots of fun.

    And he spots it at once: a beautiful yellow rose. But when he meets an artist, Oskar trades the rose for a paintbrush. And when he meets a conductor, he trades the paintbrush for a sheet of music. . . .The bustling streets are full of interesting people and delightful possible presents, and Oskar trades one gift for another, and another, and another! But what he finds by the end of the day is even more precious.Simple kindness is at the heart of this enchanting, gloriously-illustrated tale.