Grouped in four progressive levels, Read and Share books - available individually for the first time - are specially selected for qualities that encourage literacy skills and a love of reading.Sixteen top-quality books with notes for extending reading fun inspire the confidence parents and children need to experience the joys of reading . . . together. Plus an informative Parents’ Handbook!What is Read and Share?—An expert selection of sixteen high-quality picture books by superb authors and illustrators, featuring a multicultural array of subjects, including poetry and rhymes, traditional songs, stories, and information books —Four progressive levels - Beginnings, Early Steps, Next Steps, and Taking Off - each including four fabulous picture books—Two full spreads inside each book offering suggestions and activities inspired by the story, designed to help parents and children get the most out of each book - and build a foundation for reading success—A separate 24-page, full-color Parents’ Handbook providing extensive practical information and detailed answers to many of the questions parents ask about encouraging their children’s literacy

    Their mom has just kicked them out of the house and it's time they make their own way and start constructing new homes in the heart of the swamp. When ol' Claude the gator comes sneaking along, however, the three brothers are forced to question their choice of construction materials! This hilarious tale from the creators of the popular Petite Rouge (which School Library Journal declared "A treat from start to finish") will once again take you to the heart of the Cajun swamps and show you the Three Little Pigs like you've never seen them.

    All three pigs set out to seek their fortune, but two of them come to a sorry end.

    But they were not enough for Fausto, so he conquered a boat and set out to sea…Working for the first time in traditional lithography, Oliver Jeffers, combines art with prose, hand set using traditional lead type, to create a modern-day fable.

    With her help he becomes the Tzar's best huntsman, only to be sent on impossible tasks by the jealous Tzar. Will the Golden Mare be able to help him win Yelena the Fair?

    Just in time, a turnip turns up, and a second one, too. Who in the woods wouldn't want to tuck away an extra turnip for the long winter? Not Rabbit. He chooses a different path--and starts a wave of generosity that spreads among all his forest friends.    Admired picture-book team George Shannon and Laura Dronzek have created a heartwarming tale about the true meaning of friendship.    Includes an author's note and a chart that translates the Chinese calligraphy in the book.

    These tales capture the interest and imagination of children and adults alike, showing that while we might wish and wander, we should be grateful for what we have and where we are in life.Beautifully reissued, this new book has all the enchantment of Eric Carle's art, plus the compelling storytelling and morals of Grimms' tales.

    Warthog, Lion, and Zebra laugh so hard at his messy house that they wake him up. Anansi stomps off in a huff--right into an amazing secret! Hyena has a magic stick that follows his orders. If Anansi steals the stick, he'll never have to work again, and his home will be the neatest one in town. Is the magic stick his secret for success? Or the beginning of disasters he can't even imagine?

    But the story will be ruined if you turn the page right now. So please don't. A beautiful pie-making princess is trapped in a tower. Can Sir Wilbur rescue her? And more importantly, can he do it while wearing a tutu? He's going to try! But if you read the story too quickly, Ned won't be able to make the pictures or costumes in time. And happily-ever-after may start to go a bit haywire. Join Ian Lendler and Whitney Martin for a fairy tale that takes off into hilarious uncharted territory -- all because you won't slow down!

    A reworking of Armenian folktales in which a lazy prince learns to read, write, and weave to win his love only to have these very talents later save him from a three-headed monster.

    Take your child on a journey about a mother’s love in this sweet, touching children’s picture book filled with beautiful watercolor illustrations and warm and engaging rhymes that speak to the power of a mother’s love and explain to children in terms that they understand just how immense that love is.Written for children of any age, this beautifully illustrated book will inspire, comfort, and make a young heart sing with joy and love.

    A monster discovers that true terribleness can come in tiny packages when he meets his neighbor's new baby.

    There's a problem outside and this cute bug is going to fix it by swapping colors. TThis is a fun and colorful, fully illustrated ebook, for ages 18 months and up.

    A wiley leprechaun intervenes, and one wish later, Jamie is the proud owner of a potato as big as a house! An engaging read-aloud choice for St. Patrick's Day.--Booklist. Full color.

    She is an explorer who wonders about what lies above the water's surface . . . especially the young girl she has spied from a distance. To meet her requires a terrible sacrifice: she trades her beautiful voice for a potion that gives her legs, so that she may live on land instead. It seems like a dream come true at first. But when trouble stirs beneath the ocean, Melody faces another impossible choice -- stay with her friend, or reclaim her true identity and save her family.Legendary artist Jerry Pinkney's singular reinvention of this tale about love and sacrifice empowers young, twenty-first century girls with the strong message that "you should never give up your voice . . . for anyone."