Not one bit.This brand new tale captures the humor of the Mother Bruce picturebook series while helping children transition from listening to books read aloud to reading a story themselves!

    So the animals are out of sorts—listless, grumpy, and no longer fun. All except two little friends, a very small hippo and a baby kangaroo. Their hip-hopping, toe-tapping,  and rap-rocking soon has the other animals joining in the hip-aroo beat. "Racoons danced in pairs, baboons danced in troops, and snakes joined the dancers as live hula-hoops." Children's favorite songs get a funny new spin—seals bark out "The seals on the bus go round and round"—as the animals create their very own musical.Young readers and listeners will be amazed and delighted at how the animals chase the winter doldrums by getting along as friends, pooling their talents, and pushing themselves to new heights. After all, these are the same clever animals who learned to read in Judy Sierra's and Marc Brown's Wild About Books, an award-winning New York Times #1 bestselling picture book. ZooZical is sure to inspire some "can do" fun in kindergarten and primary grades.From the Hardcover edition.

    The humans give him food and tests that look like toys. But every day is the same, and the octopus soon tires of captive life. And so, under the cover of darkness, he makes his daring escape...Maile Meloy and Felicita Sala bring us a story full of excitement and heart, about the thrill of hard-won freedom and the pull of home.

    The first I Can Read! book featuring beloved picture book character Little Penguin, star of Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups—a laugh-out-loud romp!For new readers who are fans of Mo Willems’s Elephant and Piggie series and Adam Rubin’s Dragons Love Tacos.A polar bear is coming to visit! Little Penguin has never met a polar bear, but his friends have heard they are scary, with sharp teeth and terrifying roars—and that they tell very bad jokes.But Little Penguin knows you can’t believe everything you hear, right?Little Penguin’s New Friend is a Level One I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.

    . . . spoofing classic primers, Max the Dog talks back to the book in a twist in this early reader.See Max. Max is not a cat--Max is a dog. But much to Max's dismay, the book keeps instructing readers to "see the cat." How can Max get through to the book that he is a DOG? In a trio of stories for beginning readers, author David LaRochelle introduces Max, who lets the book know that the text is not to his liking.

    . . and the adventure begins. In gorgeously illustrated spreads and two-word phrases, this picture book takes two mice through their exciting and eventful day. Funny, lively, and easy to follow, the book offers the youngest readers the chance to count from one to three and back again. Sergio Ruzzier's illustrations display his signature quirky, colorful, and slightly surreal view of characters and settings, and the text is a minimalist gem. It's a perfect book to share one-on-one with a young child and a lovely lead-up to bedtime.

    The fresh modern art of Leo Timmers features hidden details and a perennial theme reminiscent of Richard Scarry. Little ones will beg to re-read again as they discover the characters who repeat throughout the art in this sweet and vibrant story.

    Sit, Smick.Chick is a little chick. Stay, Smick!So what happens when they see a stick? Written by New York Times bestselling author Doreen Cronin and ingeniously illustrated by newcomer Juana Medina, Smick is a story of unlikely friendship, a sense of adventure, and a lot of wonderful wordplay.

    “Scat, cat!” says the dog, the bird, the barber, the baker, the bus driver, the duck, the frog, the goose, the owl, the bat, and even the skunk.So the cat walks and walks until he finds a little house where there is a little boy that does not say, “Scat, cat!” In an ending twist, the cat discovers he is home. Young readers will learn the names of animals and occupations as well as useful vocabulary in this sweet and simple text.This My First I Can Read Book is perfect for shared reading with toddlers and very young children. Basic language, word repetition, and whimsical illustrations make this book just right for the emergent reader.

    And boy, does it come in handy! Whenever anything scares Oliver--be it a teacher, a classmate, or the prospect of learning "everything"--the alligator makes the problem go away. Quickly, school becomes much simpler . . . and a little lonely. But Oliver knows just what to do! Paul Schmid's gentle, funny tale about overcoming first day of school jitters is destined to become a modern classic that fans of "Olivia" and Kevin Henkes' books will love.

    Now available in full color!

    Crabby Crab is not in a good mood. No, Crabby Crab would rather complain than do anything else! Young readers will be drawn in by this humorous look into an all-too-familiar situation, and be comforted in the end. Chris Raschka’s expert balance of visual and textual humor will charm even the grumpiest of readers! Praise for Crabby Crab STARRED REVIEW"Thank you, Chris Raschka, for reviving this sublimely ridiculous series. Chrissy Chris!"--Kirkus Reviews, starred review"Cleverly explore the sense and sensibilities of toddlerhood. They also feature the author/illustrator’s trademark charm and quirky sense of humor."--School Library Journal <!--StartFragment-->READ ALL THE THINGY THINGS BOOKSBuggy BugClammy ClamCowy CowCrabby CrabDoggy DogLamby LambMoosey MooseWhaley Whale

    That's why Sal is not going to be a teacher or doctor or lawyer when she grows up. She is going to grow up to be an awesome Tyrannosaurus Rex. Her brother thinks it's impossible, but Sal sure shows him! And in the beginning, being a T. Rex is AWESOME. But did you know that it's kind of hard to make friends when you are a super-giant, super-loud, super-stompy dinosaur? If only there were a way for Sal to be 100% awesome, 100% of the time...Eisner Award-winning writer Ryan North makes his picture book debut with this bright, bold, and quirky story about finding--and taming--the beast within.

    A fly went by, followed by a frog, who's chased by a cat, who's chased by a dog and a host of other frantic characters, in a humorous cumulative tale.

    Their doggy day becomes even more wonderful when they discover a mother lode of bones! But when the bones magically arrange themselves as a T. rex, the dogs find themselves running once again, this time away from the giant skeleton.