Under the stars the bear finds his way step by step through the snowy forest, making friends along his route. Then the bear discovers a place in the woods that glows magically with something he and his friends could never have imagined -- their first Christmas. Robert Kinerk's inspired story and Jim LaMarche's glimmering illustrations combine in a picture book that captures the joy and spirit of Christmas. Come along with bear and his friends and see the magical light of Bear's First Christmas.

    . . All night long, snow falls silently, bringing forth a world blanketed in white—and a very noisy day.For at dawn’s light, machine, man, and child begin to dig out: first the big highway grader and snowplow, then the smaller town plow, a father’s snow blower, and a boy’s shovel . . . But will the streets get cleared in time?Spare poetry and elegant watercolor paintings cleverly bring to life this unique story of snow removal and the fun onomatopoeic sounds accompanying it.

    Except, well, they're going to have to! It's wintertime, and the bear, the moose and the beaver can't wait for hockey season to start. They're so eager, in fact, they head out onto the ice before it's thick enough, and they all fall through. Twice. While they wait for the lake to freeze, they try to take their minds off hockey. There's competitive napping. Karaoke. Lots of comfort food. Until, at last, the day arrives when the ice is ready. But, after all that time not being active, are they ready?Part of the bestselling Life in the Wild picture book series from Nicholas Oldland, this funny romp is, at its heart, a love letter to the sport of hockey and the joys of playing in the wild outdoors. Oldland's distinctive dry humor shines here, making this a fun read-aloud. But the hilarious visual story --- including the character's facial expressions and numerous asides --- mean children, even nonreaders, will also want to spend time with the pages on their own. Children who love hockey will appreciate the friends' devotion to the game and the difficulty of waiting for conditions to be just right, but every child who has had to wait for something (that is, every child) will relate to the situation. In this, the book offers some character education lessons on patience and perseverance. Separately, there are connections to healthy outdoor activity and winter safety.

    Not only does Corey's father make the best spaghetti, but he also dresses up as Bathman and acts like a silly dog with pajama legs for ears.

    She can’t wait to finally meet the man in red until . . . Oh no! River Rose and her dog, Joplin, have fallen asleep and been swept off on another magical adventure. This time, they’re off to the North Pole to let Santa know what River Rose really wants for Christmas.This joyous new holiday story perfectly captures the spirit of the season and comes complete with a link for readers to listen to a brand-new, original Christmas song written and performed by Kelly Clarkson herself, available at www.hc.com/riverrose.River Rose’s favorite night was always Christmas Eve.She knew Santa would stop by because she did believe.River Rose and her dog, Joplin, had written him a letter.And they were waiting up for him—hand-delivered would be better.

    Over the ice, through the water, past Arctic animals and even a human…where is he going? What does he want?

    On a snowy day, Mouse is swept outside where he plays in the snow, ice skates on a frozen puddle, and makes sure his friends the birds get something to eat.

    . . . This time she's out to return a one-of-a-kind lost object: a heart. And not just any heart, but a heart as large as Olive's own.In her search to find its one, true owner, she makes the acquaintance of a cast of characters who show her what it truly means to give all of one's love.Only J.otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh could have dreamed up this wacky and wittily heartwarming story in which anything can happen if you only follow your heart.

    They gather food and look for warm, snug places in the ground, trees, caves or thickets, where they can find protection against the icy winds.It might have been hard for the birds and animals of the hillside to survive when the Big Snow came if their good friends, who lived in the little stone house, had not remembered to put food out for them.Here, in many beautiful pictures, the Haders show how winter comes to the woodland as the busy animals make their preparations.

    Nicholas wants the Country Angels to plan the Christmas celebration for all of Heaven. They can't wait to get started.But the three littlest angels haven't bargained on being told to stay out of the way when they offer to help the kitchen angels sift and bake, the barn angels groom the animals for the procession, or the music angels compose and sing new carols.Just when they have given up, St. Nicholas finds the perfect job for Ari, Pip, and Kira. Because with all the baking, brushing, and singing going on, the Country Angels seem to have forgotten the most important detail of all.Tomie dePaola's love of Christmas and the wonderful preparations that lead up to the day shines through in story and art as his endearing cast of Country Angels create their heavenly tribute.

    Readers will certainly spot the glorious beast, plus an array of big-city icons they can count. Is the dragon taking the crosstown bus, or breathing his fiery breath below a busy street? Maybe he took a taxi to the zoo or is playing with the dogs in the park.

    Each spread features Madeline with a different animal friend: brushing her teeth with an adorable mouse (with whom she shares her house), scattering breadcrumbs everywhere for the birds in the square, stopping to greet the cats on the street, and more. John Bemelmans Marciano, grandson of Madeline's creator, Ludwig Bemelmans, shares his grandfather's flair for lively verse and vivid artwork.

    We're Pirasaurs! We're Pirasaurs!We rule the open seas!We'll cannon-blast you to the past! We do just what we please!Meet the Pirasaurs, a ragtag team of seasoned pirate dinosaurs looking for adventure and treasure! There's fearsome Captain Rex, golden-toothed Velocimate, one-eyed Bronto Beard, and more fearsome, buccaneering beasts....as well as one new recruit who may be small, but who's eager to prove he can learn the ropes and find his place on the team.But when a trap is set upon the Pirasaurs while looking for buried treasure, it's up to the littlest recruit to show the team that there's more to a Pirasaur than meets the eye patch!