BEWARE OF CRANKENSTEIN! Who is Crankenstein?HE IS A MONSTER OF GRUMPINESS THAT NO ONE CAN DESTROY!MEHHRRRR!!! HE'S ALIVE!He may look like any ordinary boy, but when faced with a rainy day, a melting popsicle, or an early bedtime, one little boy transforms into a mumbling, grumbling Crankenstein! When Crankenstein meets his match in a fellow Crankenstein, the results could be catastrophic-or they could be just what he needs to brighten his day!

    His friends can’t understand it—how can he be in a bad mood when it’s SUCH a beautiful day? They encourage him not to hunch, to smile, and to do things that make THEM happy. But Jim can’t take all the advice…and has a BIT of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy?Suzanne and Max Lang bring hilarity and levity to this very important lesson. This picture book is an excellent case study in the dangers of putting on a happy face and demonstrates to kids that they are allowed to feel their feelings (though they should be careful of hurting others in the process!).

    Amiably illustrated in a bright, graphic style, Leslie Patricelli’s spirited board book, QUIET LOUD, stars an obliging, bald, and very expressive toddler who acts out each pair of opposites with comically dramatic effect.

    There is so much to see and do. She tries this — STOMP! And she tries that — CHOMP! Then she sees a kiss and knows just what she wants to try next. Who can she kiss? And after a few disastrous attempts, can she figure out how to give someone a kiss without whomping, chomping, or stomping them first? Young children will chuckle and cheer when Dinah finds just the right creature for her dinosaur kisses in this funny new picture book from David Ezra Stein.

    But passing messages on a telephone line isn't as simple as it sounds. Each subsequent bird understands Mama's message according to its own very particular hobbies. Will Peter ever get home for dinner? This uproarious interpretation of a favorite children's game will get everyone giggling and is sure to lead to countless rereads.

    And his owner, Harry, has all the best hopes that George will be a well-behaved dog when he leaves him alone for the day. But when George spies a delicious cake sitting on the kitchen table, his resolve starts to waver. You see, George loves cake. . . . Uh-oh. What to do now? It’s so hard to be a good dog when there are cats to chase and flowers to dig up! What ever will Harry say when he gets back? Chris Haughton’s fetchingly funny story and vibrant, retro illustrations are sure to lure dog lovers of all ages — and anyone who has ever met a temptation too good to resist.

    When Lisa's red-and-white woolen stocking blows off the clothesline, Hedgie finds it and sticks his nose inside, only to discover his prickles prevent him from pulling out of it. Soon all the farm animals are coming around to chuckle at silly Hedgie's stocking cap. But in the end, nimble-witted Hedgie gets the last laugh. Now young fans of this glorious Scandinavian picture book can curl up with the illustrious Hedgie, himself! This fluffy 5-inch fellow, with long, lush, decidedly unprickly fur, sports the very sock--uh, hat--that got him in trouble. A soft body and cheerful smile guarantee many friends for this huggable guy. Packaged with the only available board book version of the award-winning The Hat, this delightful book and sweet plush toy set make a perfect gift any time of year! (Ages 3 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

    Off they march to show Turtle! The parade continues as every animal brightens the day of a grumpy friend. An irresistible celebration of friendship, sharing, and fabulous hats.

    They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You're in red-hot trouble.The award-winning team behind Those Darn Squirrels! has created an unforgettable, laugh-until-salsa-comes-out-of-your-nose tale of new friends and the perfect snack.

    Bear really gets on Skunk's nerves. He's too happy . . . and he's always giving way too many hugs! Skunk has the perfect plan to keep Bear from giving any more hugs. Will it work? Similar to characters like Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd and Tom and Jerry, Bear and Skunk are sure to make young readers laugh in this fun read-aloud!

    But in this book, the youngsters are a wide variety of dinosaurs. And how do dinosaurs say good night?Filled with wonderful detail and humor, children and their parents will love the expressions and antics of the eleven different dinosaur children depicted here, and each species is spelled out somewhere in the young dinosaur's bedroom. In the end, young dinosaurs behave a lot like people do: They give a big kiss, turn out the light, tuck in their tails, and whisper "good night."Here is a new staple for bedtime reading, a book children will ask for again and again.

    The anticipation of what's hiding on the next page and the bright, engaging illustrations will keep little ones guessing and giggling all the way to the surprise ending.Perfect size for curious babies and toddlers to hold and manipulateFun and interactive book to read aloud for story timeNina Laden is the author and illustrator of many award-winning books for childrenFans of Ready, Set, GO!, Peek-a-Zoo!, Peek-a-Boo!, and Grow Up! will love the simple rhymes, colorful images, and surprise mirror at the end of Peek-a-Who!Babies and toddlers will love this board book filed with colorful pictures, simple rhyming texts, and sized right for small hands to hold.Sturdy board bookMakes a great gift and is a must-have for a baby's bookshelfBooks for kids ages 0-3Interactive, fun, and educational

    In this irresistibly charming picture book, many different quiet moments are captured, from the anticipation-heavy “Top of the roller coaster quiet” to the shocked-into-silence “First look at your new hairstyle quiet.” The impossibly sweet bears, rabbits, fish, birds, and iguanas are all rendered in soft pencils and colored digitally, and, as in all of the best picture books, the illustrations propel the story far beyond the words. A sure-to-be-a-classic bedtime favorite. Awards: 2011 ALA Notable Children's Book, 2010–2011, New York Times bestseller, 2011 CCBC Choices, 2011 NCTE Notable Children's Trade Book, 2010 New York Times Notable Book, 2010 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, 2010 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

    Every day, Goblin and Skeleton play with the treasure in their dungeon. But one day, a gang of "heroic" adventurers bursts in. These marauders trash the place, steal all the treasure, and make off with Skeleton—leaving Goblin all alone!It's up to Goblin to save the day. But first he's going to have to leave the dungeon and find out how the rest of the world feels about goblins.

    In this very funny, cumulative song, each page tells us something new about the donkey until we end up with a spunky, hanky-panky cranky stinky dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey, which will have children in fits of laughter! There is much fun to be had by listening to the song and trying to predict the new word for each clue given!