IT, a story about family, friendship, and...pie!When Alice's Aunt Polly, the Pie Queen of Ipswitch, passes away, she takes with her the secret to her world-famous pie-crust recipe. Or does she? In her will, Polly leaves the recipe to her extraordinarily fat, remarkably disagreeable cat, Lardo . . . and then leaves Lardo in the care of Alice.Suddenly, the whole town is wondering how you leave a recipe to a cat. Everyone wants to be the next big pie-contest winner, and it's making them pie-crazy. It's up to Alice and her friend Charlie to put the pieces together and discover the not-so-secret recipe for happiness: Friendship. Family. And the pleasure of doing something for the right reason.With Pie, acclaimed author Sarah Weeks has baked up a sweet and satisfying delight, as inviting as warm pie on a cold day. You'll enjoy every last bite.

    Plus, Zola already has a friend to play with—an elephant!

    "A welcome blend of myth and reality, set in modern times but connected by folklore to the world of animals and magic."--Publishers Weekly

    In the following days, more topiaries appear, and each one is more beautiful than the last. Soon, William’s gray little town is full of color and life. And though the mysterious night gardener disappears as suddenly as he appeared, William—and his town—are changed forever.

    Then came Elmira Degoochy the snake lady. Then the Flying Gambinis -- all seven of them and their mother. And Mrs. Harrison the fortune-teller, and Mr. Wydel the strongman . . .These are the new residents of Springfield, the formerly peaceful Midwestern town where up to now young Ivy's life had been pretty uneventful. Ivy becomes fast friends with Alfred Halibut, who is an aspiring writer like herself and the son of a circus publicity manager. She also befriends the other circus people who have moved into town. But many of her neighbors are not feeling kindly about this invasion of strange characters. Tensions somersault into a climactic tangle at the Springfield bake-off. In the midst of hurtling pies, one voice alone can bring peace and tolerance back to the community. When the Circus Came to Town is Polly Horvath's funniest novel to date, packed with vivid exaggeration and slapstick scenarios.

    Fox tells the story of the Fox Family. After twelve years, the Fox Family’s quiet home life proves too much for Mr. Fox’s natural animal instincts. When his young nephew arrives, Mr. Fox slips back into his old ways as a smart bird thief and, in doing so, endangers not only his beloved family, but the whole animal community as well.In Fall 2009, audiences will cheer as award-winning director Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited) brings us his take on the tale: a blockbuster stop-motion animation film shot entirely in high definition. Starring the voice talents of George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Meryl Streep (Doubt), Bill Murray (Lost in Translation), and Jason Schwartzman (Marie Antoinette), the movie is sure to please fans of the original story as well as enchant new generations.Fantastic Mr. Fox: The Making of the Motion Picture is a family-friendly behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the film. Filled with photos, script pages, storyboards, and interviews with cast and crew, this book is a delightful and intriguing peek at the magic that happens as the filmmakers bring to life one of children’s literature’s most beloved characters: the outrageous, audacious, Fantastic Mr. Fox.

    Once there, he peels off all his clothes and tells his trusty old dog to guard them against strangers. He takes a refreshing bath and emerges clean as corn—but so fresh-smelling that his dog doesn't recognize him! Negotiations over the return of the clothes prove fruitless. A wrestling match ensues in a tale that grows taller by the sentence, climaxing in a fabric-speckled dust devil.Amy Timberlake has inserted a Western twang into this tale of filth and friendship, and Adam Rex has found many creative means of bodily concealment in his expressive, comical paintings.

    Until Shelby and Peter find him in the park--and invite him to live with them. Soon Ollie is a regular part of the family. He doesn't have a room to call his own, but he doesn't mind. He is happy. He loves hopscotch and kickball--but most of all he loves the dance parties the McLaughlins have after dinner.But Mr. Puddlebottom, the downstairs neighbor, most certainly does not love Ollie. And neither does the McLaughlins' cat, Ginger. Ollie has taken her spot on the couch at night. When the conspirators hatch a plan to get rid of Ollie, the purple elephant walks right into their trap--and onto a circus cart. Will he ever be reunited with his family?

    A well-meaning snake interacts with the orchestral instruments, scares the musicians and conductor, and causes general chaos in this sweet and funny book by Johanna Wright, author of Bandits and Bunnies on Ice.A Neal Porter Book

    When a newly orphaned baby in the moon makes friends with the children of Earth, he seeks a way to ward off their fears and nightmares.Up there in the sky.Don’t you see him?No, not the moon.The Man in the Moon.He wasn’t always a man.Nor was he always on the moon.He was once a child.Like you.Until a battle,a shooting star,and a lost balloonled him on a quest.Meet the very first Guardian of Childhood.MiM, the Man in the Moon.

    Louise loves art more than anything. It's her imagination on the outside. She is determined to create a masterpiece—her pièce de résistance!Louise also loves Art, her little brother. This is their story.Louise Loves Art is a celebration of the brilliant artist who resides in all of us.

    But when a small, scared crow falls from midair, Scarecrow does the strangest thing. . . .Bestselling author Beth Ferry and the widely acclaimed Fan Brothers present this tender and affectionate tale that reminds us of the comforting power of friendship and the joy of helping others.

    She keeps trying to teach her unicorn to scribble but soon realizes this is more difficult then she anticipated. But instead of giving up, she uses her imagination to come up with a creative way to get her unicorn to scribble, at first it looks like it was complete disaster but ends up being truly magical! If you and your child liked I'm Not just a Scribble..., Splatter, Snippets, or Spots - it's time to start making sparkling scribbles with Never Let A Unicorn Scribble!

    Today, Fish's story (about pirates!) is too grand to simply be told: Fish wants to show Snail. But that would mean leaving the familiar world of their book—a scary prospect for Snail, who would rather stay safely at home and pretend to be kittens. Fish scoffs that cats are boring; Snail snaps back. Is this book too small for the two feuding friends? Could this be THE END of The Story of Fish and Snail? Deborah Freedman, author of Blue Chicken, has created a sweet and playful story about friendship that truly jumps off the page.★"Right from the title page, Freedman's latest makes a splash... This marvelous metabook shines in both concept and beauty." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review"The theme of books as doorways into rich new adventures couldn't be more vividly conveyed, and the resolution of the conflict between two sweet friends provides encouragement for other "snails" to try new things." -- Publishers Weekly

    When he asks to keep the animals that happened to “follow” him home, his mom points out that birds belong in the sky and frogs belong in the pond. He starts to wonder: is there an animal that belongs right there with him? In a heartwarming conclusion, he discovers the perfect pet has been around him all along.Readers of all ages will giggle at the sly sense of humor, and adults will love how the mother’s questions encourage empathy. Lively illustrations and dialogue play off each other with a sly sense of humor as the boy learns to walk in someone else's shoes—or paws.