Took off his heavy shell to go for a swim. He went down to the lake by the shortest route, He was wearing a hat and a blue bathing suit.

    The second title in a new series about how magical creatures came to have their gifts. Do you know how dragons got their fire? It all began once upon a magic kingdom, when a fearsome, terrifying dragon stalked the land. He was so mean he ate kittens for breakfast, he was so scary he made children scream, and he was so evil that he blew huge storms out of his jaws, which is why it was always so cold. Or so the stories said. When two children called Freya and Sylas met the dragon, they found something very different indeed...

    She imagines the flowers that she'll braid into his beautiful pink mane, and she even picks the perfect name for him: Sparkle. But when Sparkle arrives, his ears are too long, his horn is too short, he smells funny--and oh, he has fleas. Lucy isn't pleased, but in the end she warms up to Sparkle and realizes that even though he wasn't exactly the unicorn she wanted, he might be just the one she needs.

    The pair have always been best friends, but will Hector ever find peace and quiet with Hummingbird around?

    Meet Tiny, a diminutive but determined T-Rex in a big world, as he embraces all obstacles against him in his quest to learn how to hug.

     Fearless Ruby's search for adventure, friendship and her place in the world comes to life through acclaimed author/illustrator Philip C. Stead's whimsical illustrations and succinct, charming text.

    A landlocked duck is very sad. One day, an egg rolled out of a nest and right into a deep pond. Now that egg is a little duck, and the water is still very scary. Jumping into the pond at all seems impossible, never mind swimming in a line with all his brothers. "You're a duck, and ducks don't sink," Big Frog points out. Practicing in a puddle helps a little, while backrubs and snacks from his mother help a little more. Big Frog offers to hold his friend's wing and dive in together, but our little duck knows that some challenges need to be faced alone. Even when they are very scary!

    The pond is dry, and she doesn't want to roll in the mud with Pig, sing with Rooster, doze with Tortoise, eat laundry with Goat, or join any of the other animals in their pastimes. To make matters worse, the gray cloud that's following Duck is growing bigger by the minute, and now her friends are feeling gloomy as well. What will it take to cheer them all up? Two prolific picture-book creators look to the skies for a humorous tale of not-fair-weather friendship.

    Every day, insect customers line up to dine at the tiny baker's tearoom, but when her ladybug cooks fly away, upending the pristine kitchen, the baker learns an important lesson about friendship.

    In her refreshingly subversive world, monkeys must always use their fingers when they eat or get in trouble, elephants are encouraged to squirt and splatter everywhere, and pig parents ask their children to get muddy before they go to bed. Of course, if you're a pig, you smell, and that’s not nice. Still, the girl can see that behaving like an animal could be fun. . . .

    But every year, the festivities come under a shadow cast by Irving and Muktuk, two polar bears whose badness is equaled only by their thick-headedness. These bears are muffin-pilferers of the worst kind. Therefore, they have to contend with Officer Bunny, who is the law in Yellowtooth. Officer Bunny is wise in the ways of the North, and knows how to protect a muffin. As the years go by, Irving and Muktuk’s muffin-getting schemes turn more and more devious, keeping Officer Bunny on his toes as he tries to figure out what to do with the crafty though dimwitted bears once and for all.

    From the spinning twirly hug to the playful catch-you hug--and even to the long good-bye hug when nobody wants to leave--each one is a celebration of a friendship and of a special moment.In this companion book to Won't You Be My Kissaroo?, Joanne Ryder's sweet, lyrical text and Melissa Sweet's snuggly illustrations deliver the perfect book to share with all your favorite hugaroos.

    To him, it's perfect. But when he invites Peggoty Small over to admire his arrangement, he finds she has quite another opinion. She feels his one-of-each house leaves no room for anyone else! Suddenly Oliver sees she's right, and he finds a pair for every single thing in his house. In the end he realizes that sharing makes room for friends. As only she can, Mary Ann Hoberman deftly crafts a simple, comforting story that speaks to every child's experience. Accompanied by Marjorie Priceman's bold, colorful illustrations, this picture book is destined to become a story time favorite.

    Just because Sheila Rae is older, she doesn't always know better!This classic picture book about overcoming fear is written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, and Kitten's First Full Moon."I am very brave," Sheila Rae said, patting herself on the back. She wasn't afraid of anything—not thunder, not lightning, not the big black dog at the end of the block. And when she wanted to walk home a new way and Louise wouldn't, she called her sister a scaredy-cat and set out alone. But all the bravado in the world failed to help when Sheila Rae found herself lost. Luckily, her sister was not far behind."Children will love it."—School Library Journal

    This is a tale about a big city.It's a tale of hotdogs and music and the summertime subway breeze.It's a tale of singing on rooftops and toffees that stick to your teeth.But most of all, it's the tale of Herman and Rosie.'Quirky, soulful and alive . . . a book to treasure, like a favourite song.' Markus Zusak