But Christmas is sometimes wrapped in quiet: “Searching for presents quiet,” “Getting caught quiet,” and “Hoping for a snow day quiet.” Irresistibly cute, soft colored pencil illustrations of bunnies, bears, and more paint a magical holiday picture indeed.

    In sparse, poetic language that all of us, however young or old, can understand, Child of Glass reminds us of our birthright to become ourselves. Freedom isn’t about accepting what is; it’s about asking the questions and taking the actions that allow us to be at home in the world.Beautifully illustrated in a painterly, drawn, and collaged style, this is a story of layers, textures, and transparencies in every sense. It is also a book that explores the possibilities of form to render idea, thereby providing connective tissue between the world of the book and life in the world.

    She'd rather galavant among pretty flowers. Bloom LOVES flowers and other pretty things. She also likes attention. And when a beautiful butterfly, a "flying flower" wafts by, she falls head over heels in love. But she soon learns that attraction is fleeting, and friendship brings a deeper, more satisfying love. Maria Van Lieshout deftly, gently portrays the true meaning of love and friendship in story and pictures that are perfect for readers of all ages. "Bloom!" is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

    But a hilarious twist ending will have readers realizing there’s more to this imaginary friend than meets the eye!Another of Polacco’s immensely popular younger books, Emma Kate is a wonderfully original story of pretend play and real friendship.

    Illustrated with playful photographs of animals, BTG's insightful prose again hits his target straight on. He muses about why we're here and our greater purpose in the grand scheme of things. His informal style provides a refreshing counterpoint to what has always been one of life's big debates. For example, when it comes to discovering your passion, BTG writes, "First, no one else will tell you about it - it's just like walking around all day with a sign on your back that says KICK ME." The Meaning of Life is a witty, thought-provoking book that makes an ideal gift for anyone who's seeking their true purpose-and wants to laugh along the way.

    Fast-paced and engrossing page-turners, the Tomorrow Girls books are the perfect choice for middle-grade readers.

    A playful riff on "My First Pet" books, My First Ghost teaches kids everything they need to know about taking care of their very own ghost. Debut picture book authors Miller and Leviton offer humorous tips on feeding, grooming, and ghostly games which are complemented by charming illustrations with a retro twist.

    All his friends work in big city banks, and they never stop going on about how much they love it. Duck doesn't think a job in a big city bank sounds very exciting, but he picks one out of the paper, gets an interview, and gets the job. It's not long before he realises that the job is NOT for him. He needs to follow his heart and his dream of being an artist. He quits his job at the bank and makes a decision. He is going to be an artist! He puts all the pictures he has drawn into a portfolio and goes off for another interview. He gets the job! He loves the job!

    Rather than focusing on going to bed—and what kid wants to think about going to bed?—this book explores all of the dreamy, wonderful, strange things the next day might bring.

    Don’t Feed the Monster! ************************** One day Billy Monster to his great surprise, Found out he’d won the most fabulous prize An awesome new home to live in and share With his very own kid to pester and scare!

    But Grandpa and Grandma will understand — really. With his trademark vibrant, energetic illustrations, Petr Horácek introduces us to a delightfully enterprising child, some wisely laid-back grandparents, and the most endearing elephant you’ll ever want to meet.

    But when he finds an enormous bone, he goes straight to work, gnawing out doors and windows and hollowing out the entire inside. When his work is done, however, his cavernous house still feels incomplete. Where can he find some itty-bitty things that will make this bone a home? Everyone from dollhouse lovers to grown-ups setting up a home of their own will fall for this comical tale of an optimistic canine who is small in stature but huge in charm.

    She transforms herself into the longed-for princess, but the spell is broken and… read the story to find out what happens.Illustration from one of the thirty-one stories present in the first collection of “Fairytales and Fables Never Told”.

    Gondra has inherited traits from both her eastern (Asian) dragon dad and western (European) dragon mom and enjoys them all. She's especially happy that she's a combination of both. Cheerful banter and hilariously adorable dragon portrayals present a warm, appealing family portrait. The beautiful and fanciful illustrations are rich in whimsical details that invite repeated readings.

    Over time, the objects became bigger: remote controls, shoes, empty pizza boxes. And then cat owners everywhere were sucked into the Internet phenomenon that is defined by a simple motto: stuff + cats = awesome. From Stuffonmycat.com (the amazingly popular website that redefines hilarious and that was named one of the coolest sites of the year by Yahoo! And GQ magazine) comes Stuff On My Cat: The Book. Culled from the thousands of outrageous photographs submitted by mischievous animal lovers, here are 200 of the most unbelievably entertaining images of cats with all manner of things on them: wigs, Easter eggs, dogs, cheeseburgers, cookware, gummi bears, action figures, tiaras, beer cans, pinecones, a statue of the Buddha, and much more. An introduction by the site's creator explains the Stuff on My Cat philosophy, and playful illustrations and graphics are sprinkled throughout. Just try to keep a straight face.