What would you do if you were settling down for a quiet bedtime story and you realized that a crocodile had fallen into your storybook and was — not to put too fine a point on it — wreaking havoc? Would you slam that book shut and cram it back onto the bookshelf? Or would you be brave enough to peek?

    . ."Dada!"Right?Everyone knows that fathers wage a secret campaign to ensure that their babies' first word is "Dada!"But how does it work?One of the most popular entertainers in the world and NBC's The Tonight Show host, Jimmy Fallon, shows you how.

    When they get out Grandpa's old marching-band instruments, Little Pig is too little to play any of them. But when the disorganized band has a pig-pile mishap, Little Pig has a BIG idea: They could use a leader.

    There's so much to see: the tiger with the stripes across its back, the panther with its coat of shiny black, the zebra whose tail goes whack!The rhythmic text by Men Fox is filled with surprises and reflects all the playfulness and warmth found in family relationships. The texture and glowing colors of Candace Whitman's torn paper collages bring all the animals, exotic and familiar, to life.

    Papa Bear instructs his cubs to put on their sweaters, and patiently waits downstairs. When he checks on them, he learns that getting ready is no simple task. But even if this lovable bear family misses out on their planned outing, the evening sky still holds a beautiful surprise.

    This collection of Tanja's heart-meltingly cute photographs, accompanied by simple text celebrating the comforts and delights of friendship, is sure to appeal to anyone who loves animals and appreciates a true friend.

    But they forget all about the tiniest, quietest creature on the farm—the ladybug. She has a plan of her own. Julia Donaldson turns her literary expertise to a farm setting, and comes up with a rollicking barnyard mystery. Lydia Monks' colorful collage illustrations go perfectly with the story for a winning combination. Readers will quack, neigh, moo, and cheer for the ladybug all the way through! What the Ladybug Heard is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

    Even more unusual? Out of the hat pops a baby penguin. But not just one baby penguin . . . or even two. But a third, and a fourth, and on and on!At first the mama penguin is happy for the company. Until she realizes that taking care of a family is very hard, very tiring work, and what she could really use is just a moment alone. Yet as newcomer Melissa Guion reminds us in her adorable debut picture book, alone time is all well and good, but, it's together time that's best of all.Perfect for any mama penguin with a family, or classroom, full of mischievous little ones.

    One by one each plump little duckling wanders off in search of a very special present. When all have disappeared, lonely mother duck lets out a very sad quack and all her ducklings come waddling back! Each proudly carries a wonderful and thoughtful surprise for loving mother duck--a beautiful flower, a lucky four-leaf clover, a gorgeous seashell, a juicy berry, and a delicious worm!

    Will Goose ever get to have his picnic?Goose is all packed for a picnic. Now all he has to do is cross the little road in front of his cottage.With bold and bright illustrations from Zoe Waring and familiar, sparse text from Tammi Sauer, Truck, Truck, Goose is perfect for any kid who's ever enjoyed the game duck, duck, goose!

    This book uses playful rhyming text to explore these numerical sets in vibrant detail, ending with the stars in the sky—a number set too big to count!

    But Duck is a bit TOO enthusiastic… "No splashing! No fishing! No racing!" he quacks. Soon he puts up signs EVERYWHERE! "DIVING IS FORBIDDEN! (by order of Duck— in charge of the pond)" But then all his friends start leaving… Can bossy Duck figure out a way to share the pond with his friends?

    Here comes the train. And it’s rolling down the tracks in this vibrant picture book! Follow it along and count the birds that join the trip. All aboard, and all join in as the cheerful little train chugs past the seaside, the farm, the forest, the city, and into the station for a nice long rest. Along the way, a flock of noisy seagulls and blackbirds, pigeons and geese hop on for the ride. Kids will have fun looking at Emma Garcia’s colorful, collaged landscapes and counting all the honking, cooing, tweeting birds.

     His mama says, "It's time you took flight." This little Owlet does not want to be out by himself in the dark. But Mama believes he can be brave, so he decides to leave the nest for the first time. As Owlet makes his way through the sky to explore the sights and sounds of nighttime, he runs into a few frightening obstacles along the way, but he eventually learns that being brave can be a fun adventure! Perfect for reading at bedtime to relieve nighttime anxiety, watching Owlet fly through the sky will show young readers that things may not always be as scary as they first seem.

    Owl can’t get to sleep in Pat Hutchins’s beloved Good-Night, Owl!How is Owl supposed to sleep the day away with the bees buzzing, the woodpecker pecking, the doves cooing, and the squirrels crunching? But when night falls and everything is finally quiet, suddenly there’s a new sound—and it’s coming from Owl! From author-illustrator Pat Hutchins, this cumulative bedtime story with a surprise ending will send little ones off to sleep with a smile.