But the cow was impossible to cheer up! Even Father Christmas was too jolly for her. The poor lamb burst into tears himself, and wallowed in misery. Finally the cow started to miss him, and gave him the best birthday present ever - a great big grin!

    With bright, bold illustrations, this fun read-aloud should be a big hit with kids.

    Then the square and the triangle. Then the . . . emu pushing a pancake wagon down a hill? What begins as a concept book about everyone’s geometric favorites soon defies expectations with a series of funny and imaginative twists. Award-winning author-illustrator Kenneth Kraegel pairs a deadpan text with simple wood-grained shapes, interspersed with vibrant illustrations of animals engaged in hilariously absurd pastimes. Each page turn builds on the delicious anticipation the contrast creates to make this a unique and rollicking story-time hit.

    When he rings his bell and shouts “PIRATES!” a few too many times — even though there’s no pirate ship — the villagers start to get tired of hiding. But what will happen when the pirates really do show up?

    but he can’t even wake her up. Maybe his noisy animal friends can help?

    Perhaps if he hops in his car — toot, toot, zoom! — he will fi nd a friend on the other side of the mountain! On the road — SCREECH! — he meets Goat, who kindly offers to help. And that, says Pierre, is exactly the sort of thing his friend will do when he finds him! Up, up they zoom, collecting an amiable Sheep and Bear along the way. Will the car make it to the top? Will it get safely down? Will Pierre ever find a friend? Phyllis Root’s wry, cumulative story revs readers up with BIG sound words, while Matthew Cordell's energetic illustrations and a fun, dynamic design keep them happily strapped in for the ride.

    Bright, bold, and fun, Ten Orange Pumpkins is a perfect read-aloud and is sure to capture the imagination of the littlest trick-or-treaters.

    HEY, RABBIT! Is there anything waiting for me in your suitcase?Move over Easter Bunny, there’s a spunky new rabbit in town, and he has a suitcase full of special surprises for each of his friends: Dog, Toucan, Bear, Cat, Mouse, and Crab. Hey, Rabbit! is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

    In this new book from the celebrated mother-daughter writing team of Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, a mother reflects on the many things she loved best “before you came.” In lyrical prose, she explains her joy at being able to share all those things with her child, who is now her most treasured thing of all.This gentle, wonder-filled celebration is the perfect gift for parents, children, and all those who have discovered the joy of sharing their world with someone new.

    . .. . . or put them back together again.You can use tools to make almost anything!From the clamps that hold down the wood for the very first cut through the paintbrush that adds the finishing touches, this book is full of useful tools! Young readers will love watching a busy family saw, hammer, and chisel as they work together to create a new home for their friend the bluebird.

    But when chatty baby Chick adopts a large egg—she finally finds a friend who is a good listener. When her egg goes missing, Chick is heartbroken, until she finds that it has hatched into a brand-new friend!

    He spots a chicken who seems just right, but then he thinks how much more stew there will be if he fattens her up before dining himself. So he goes home and begins to cook all kinds of scrumptious food for the chicken to eat. A big surprise is in store for the wolf when he finally visits Mrs. Chicken to collect his meal.

    A construction crane lifts a log. The two cranes grab, stretch, and stack, working through bad weather and difficult obstacles toward their end goal: building a home for a new family. Told in a simple sequence of verbs, this colorful picture book demonstrates how the mechanical world mirrors the natural world.

    Wake or doze? Some eyes open. Some eyes close.   Some chicks like day, others like night. Some sleep in the dark, and some in the light. Hoot, an adorable owlet, and Honk, a fuzzy gosling, have just hatched—but their eggs got switched and now they’re in the wrong nests. Will they find their way home? Leslie Helakoski’s gentle, lilting verse and irresistible illustrations make the perfect bedtime story as they capture two adorable babies exploring the world for the first time.

    . . . What's that noise?Magnus the Arctic seal wakes up from a very deep sleep one morning, puzzled by a strange rumbling sound. What's that noise? Could it be the creaking of the trees? The whistling of the wind? The cracking of the ice? The roaring of the sea? Hare, Owl, and Polar Bear don't have any idea, but Walrus has a good suggestion: it could be Magnus's rumbling tummy! After a yummy feast of plump, pink shrimp, the friends all settle down to sleep -- but suddenly there's another rumbling sound. What's that noise? Readers curious about the creatures can learn more about them and their environment in an informative final spread.