. . until a dog fetches her for its owner, and she is tossed into a bird's nest. A mountain? No, Petra is now an egg! An egg of the world in a world of possibility. Until she's flung into a pond, and becomes an amazing island . . . and, eventually, a little girl's pet rock. What will she be tomorrow? Who knows? But she's a rock, and this is how she rolls!

    Otis is a special tractor. He loves his farmer and he loves to work. And he loves the little calf in the next stall, whom he purrs to sleep with his soft motor. In fact, the two become great friends: they play in the fields, leap hay bales, and play ring-around-the-rosy by Mud Pond.But when Otis is replaced with the big yellow tractor, he is cast away behind the barn, unused, unnoticed . . . until the little calf gets stuck in Mud Pond. Then there is only one tractor—and it’s not big or yellow—who can come to the rescue. It is little old Otis who saves his friend. It is Otis who saves the day.In a wonderful new palette, and in the tradition of classics like Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and The Story of Ferdinand, Loren Long has crafted an unforgettable new story—and character—celebrating the power of friendship and perseverance.

    Load the dirt. Scoop and swing and drop. Slam it down into the truck. Bump! Whump! Whop!"There are many big machines and busy people involved in building a road, and this riveting picture book follows them every step of the way. From clearing a pathway (SCREEK!) to rolling the tar (SQUELCH!) to sweeping up at the end (SWISH!), ROADWORK is sure to draw young onlookers with its rambunctious rhymes and noisy fun.

    Underwear makes great hair. It can even turn one into a superber, or a goggle-wearing swimming bear. But beware of a big scare! Rhymes, homonyms, and conjunctions abound in this book that could be used to teach reading, but its primary purpose is to make bedtime fun.

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

    When Pokko takes the drum deep into the forest it is so quiet, so very quiet that Pokko decides to play. And before she knows it she is joined by a band of animals —first the raccoon, then the rabbit, then the wolf—and soon the entire forest is following her. Will Pokko hear her father’s voice when he calls her home? Pokko and the Drum is a story about art, persistence, and a family of frogs living in a mushroom.

    But the monkey's cage is OPEN! Time to explore. . .   Follow the monkey as he visits all the animals in the zoo: fast and slow, big and small, noisy and quiet, soft and prickly! Filled with energetic illustrations, friendly animals, and a clear, simple text—all wrapped up in a gorgeous package—The Opposite Zoo is a fun and lively introduction to animals and opposites for the youngest picture-book audience.

    Kitten suggests he should be furrier, so he puts on a woolly hat, while Bird suggests he needs a beak. Soon, Slug has a new look, will his mummy hug him now?

    Once they land, students debark and set out with their teacher to explore. They jump over trenches and see craters and mountains on the moon's surface and even Earth in the faraway distance. One student takes a break to draw some pictures, falls asleep, and wakes up to discover that the rest of the class and the spaceship are gone. How the student passes the time waiting to be rescued makes for a funny and unexpected adventure that will enchant children all over the galaxy.

    One swing. An obliging dad. The inevitable plea to go "Higher! Higher!" Add Leslie Patricelli’s wildly expressive illustrations, and an everyday pastime reaches new heights of humor and whimsy. How high can it go? Higher than a giraffe? Taller than a mountain? Is Earth the final frontier? The creator of a popular series of board books rises to the occasion with an ingenious picture book of very few words that expresses the giddy glee of being pushed in a swing.

    At the Jungle Dance, the warthogs waltz, the chimps cha-cha, and the lions tango. "Giraffes can't dance," they all jeer when it's Gerald's turn to prance. But with some sound advice from a wise cricket, Gerald starts swaying to his own sweet tune.

    Train! WHO WILL WIN?!If you think Superman vs. Batman would be an exciting matchup, wait until you see Shark vs. Train. In this hilarious and wacky picture book, Shark and Train egg each other on for one competition after another, including burping, bowling, Ping Pong, piano playing, pie eating, and many more! Who do YOU think will win, Shark or Train?

    I bet you won't even finish reading this flap. Don't worry about it. Why would you want to learn about some penguin's problems when you have plenty of problems of your own? Just look around. The world's a mess!Besides, you probably don't even like penguins. Heck, I barely like penguins and I am a penguin.Seriously, I'll understand if you put the book back on the shelf. Go ahead. It's for the best. I'm sure you'd just get a bunch of paper cuts, anyway. And you'd probably bend the pages. And you'd get your little fingerprints everywhere.When was the last time you washed those grubby hands of yours? No offense.Sigh.Listen: I'm going back to bed. Read, don't read. Buy, don't buy. Whatever. Just try not to wake me up. I'm a light sleeper. And I have a lot on my mind.

    Soon he’s floating out of the house, above the fence, and all over town! And it’s up to Mabel, Mother, and the rest of the townspeople to get him safely back down. Who knew that so much trouble could come from one little bubble?

    Otherwise, you might find your mouth opening wide and letting out a great big yawny yaaaaaawn — hey, you were supposed hold it in! A hilarious read-aloud that is so much fun, kids will beg for it again and again, whatever the consequences.