Four friends, three big and one little, are out for a walk. Suddenly, they spot it—a beautiful bird perched high in a tree! They simply MUST have it and—SHH!—they have a PLAN. So they tip-toe, tip-toe very slowly, nets poised—"Ready one ... ready two ... ready three ... GO!" But, at the turn of the page, we find a ridiculous bunch of very tangled characters and a blissfully oblivious bird, flying away.

    While getting dressed one day, she realizes that she is missing a red sock. But as she searches throughout her sock drawer, she cannot find a suitable replacement. From blue to green and gray to white, nothing she finds will match. But does that really matter? This new picture-book offering from Jennifer Sattler (Bully) reminds readers of all ages of the enjoyment that may occur when one lets go and embraces imperfection.

    . . like providing comfortable chairs,and good conversation,and yummy food.But sometimes that is not enough for special guests,especially when their manners are more Cretaceous than gracious . . .Introducing Tea Rex, a guest that just about any child would love to have to tea!

    A perfect read-aloud.A lumbering little polar bear has one shoe untied, and he needs some help! Sadly for him, though, the other animals are all too scared of him: the lemmings, rabbits, and seals all run away as he approaches them for assistance. What's Bear going to do? Luckily, two plucky birds are more than happy to help out and offer advice -- though probably not quite in the way that readers anticipate.In this sweet and funny book about asking for help (and receiving it), expectations are flipped in a simple but clever way.Praise for Bear Needs Help A Junior Library Guild selection!"Laced with humor and . . . decipherable in more ways than one." --Kirkus Reviews"The silliness will likely win the day and earn a few giggles . . . Use this to bring some surprising goofiness to a bear-themed or winter-themed storytime." --BCCB

    Together, they sing a song with all the directions for the journey -- up, down, in, and out. But Flo starts to make up her own words, and soon she gets so carried away that she wanders off. Oh, no -- now a fox is following Flo! Where is Daddy Duck? What are the words to his song again? Jarvis's cheerful illustrations and charming text will have young readers following and singing along with Flo.

    But every time this clever spider tries to impress her chosen family, she scares them instead, until the day she unwittingly enchants them. Aaaarrgghh! Spider! spins a lively tale about one creature’s efforts to find her place.

    They are reassured when he nobly saves the day in imaginary-play sessions as a cowboy or cop and his mustache looks good-guy great. But as time passes, their worst fears are confirmed when little Billy’s mustache starts to curl up at the ends in a suspiciously villainous fashion. Sure enough, “Billy’s disreputable mustache led him into a life of dreadful crime.” Plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor and cartoonish illustrations make this the perfect baby-shower gift for a mustachioed father-to-be.

    Rhyming questions and answers will charm and amuse children. Full-color illustrations.

    Cat & Dog is a heart-warming tale about an unusual friendship from two-time Kate Greenaway award-winner Michael Foreman.

    Or sticking out his pink tongue--and pulling funny faces (now that can be fun)! And maybe he'll jump just as high as he can, and see how much noise he will make when he lands. But when the day ends and the sun starts to fall...he goes back home to mama and curls into a ball. Good night! Soft-toned illustrations portray an endearing little wombat and the warm and friendly world around him--and every page is filled with charming details that stand up to repeat viewings: cute mice, rabbits and turtles peering from behind tall grass, marching pigeons, and a menagerie of other adorable animals. The images, along with the lyrically rhyming text, combine to make a sweet-spirited bedtime story to ease young ones to sleep.

    Then a wig changes Jerry's life: when he puts it on, he looks just like a boy! Jerry creates quite a buzz with his kindness and generosity, and for the first time, he has friends. But will his new pals stick around when his true identity is revealed? In this zany and tender tale, written and illustrated by Cece Bell, Jerry finds that having friends you can "bee" yourself around is as sweet as honey.

    Often words cannot describe man's best friend, so sometimes you've got to break the rules! Susan Campbell Bartoletti unleashes a whole new pack of adjectives in this howling ode to the hound dog. Together, with Beppe Giacobbe's feist-y art, Bartoletti re-domesticates the dictionary and revolutionizes the way pets are portrayed, in a list poem wordsmiths and dog devotees will sit up and beg for.

    No matter what he does, he just can't shake it! Sometimes the only thing left to do is wash the grumpy day away and start over. The simple text and lively illustrations are the perfect cure for even the grumpiest of days.

    Bright yellow chicks, golden bees, and striped kitty-cats play in the warm sunshine, clucking and buzzing and skitty-scatting. Then they rest, snoozy-woozy. But what is this? The pitter-patter of raindrops. Now the crash, bang, wallop of a storm—how will they get dry? Soon the sun and sweet breezes come out again. Wonderfully textured art (you can practically feel the cats’ fur and the chicks’ softness), as well as a sleepytime ending, will make this a favorite to read again and again.

    In his debut adventure, Groovy Joe faces three roaring dinosaurs hungry for his doggy ice cream! Oh no! But Joe knows just what to do and soon enough he has them all sharing while moving and singing along.Signature rhyme, repetition, and musical writing style, combined with wild and witty illustrations come together to create an unforgettable new character who embodies positivity, creativity, and kindness. Groovy Joe is here, ready to get groovy! Download your FREE Groovy Joe songs, written and performed by Eric Litwin, at groovyjoestories.scholastic.com.