One by one, many of the seeds are lost -- burned by the sun, fallen into the ocean, eaten by a bird. But some survive the long winter and, come spring, sprout into plants, facing new dangers -- trampled by playing children, picked as a gift for a friend. Soon only the tiniest seed remains, growing into a giant flower and, when autumn returns, sending its own seeds into the wind to start the process over again. Eric Carle's eloquent text and brilliant collages turn the simple life cycle of a plant into an exciting story, a nature lesson, and an inspiring message of the importance of perseverance.

    He races through the day while the ever-patient Tortoise does his best to keep up. Hare, it certainly seems to Tortoise, has boundless energy. So Tortoise has plans for when it is time for Hare to go to bed - a well-deserved rest with a cup of chamomile tea! And, for the first time in the day, it is Tortoise who is in a hurry. He reads speedily, with one eye on his cuppa. But Hare has other ideas. As far as he is concerned, when it's time for his bedtime story from Tortoise, he is no longer in a hurry. In fact he wants to take all the time in the world and linger over every picture. After all, some things just shouldn't be rushed!Toddlers will love this simple story, with its cosy farmland setting and lovable characters. And while adults are reading a story that highlights the differences between the energetic and impetuous Hare and the rather more circumspect Tortoise, they will no doubt smile as they recognise the parallels with their own experiences of childcare!

    His mom comes up with a way to keep him entertained--by drawing a picture of herself and him going outside, playing in the rain, and splashing in a giant puddle. They have so much fun drawing themselves that they decide to venture out and make the most of the rainy weather.

    Shy moon tiptoes, climbs up high . . .  Daylight fades and night draws in. It's time for bed. A drowsy child observes the wide world settling down, coming ever closer to home until at last there are good-night hugs and kisses for this little sleepyhead. Richly painted, evocative scenes illuminate the text, imbuing the whole with mystery and a sense of comfort and warmth, and making this a bedtime story to treasure for all time.From the Hardcover edition.

    Spitzer is a wise teacher who knows many things. She knows about gardens. She knows about children. She knows how similar they are, and how both will flourish if tended lovingly. There are many remarkable teachers like Mrs. Spitzer in the world, and Edith Pattou's simple, moving story along with Tricia Tusa's inspired, whimsical illustrations celebrate all they do, year after year, to help our children grow and blossom.

    One day the bee comes upon a meadow full of juicy blossoms. He goes from flower to flower, slurping up all he can, all the while growing fatter and fatter, until he is unable to fly home.

    But when you are very young, there are some things that you just know, and the little boy knows that one day a carrot will come up. So he waters his seed, and pulls the weeds, and he waits...This beautifully simple classic teaches the patience and technique of planting a seed and helping it grow. First published in 1945 and never out-of-print, the timeless combination of Ruth Krauss's simple text and Crockett Johnson's eloquent illustrations creates a triumphant and deeply satisfying story for readers of all ages.The sturdy board book pages make this edition of the beloved story perfect for babies and toddlers.

    He worked hard, very hard, but he was just too little (or at least he felt he was).A story that teaches us just how important it is to persist and try, no matter what the odds.

    One child experiences a flower with all five senses—from its color to its fragrance to the entire universe it evokes—revealing how a single flower can expand one's perspective in many ways.

     Every day, Honey tends her garden, thinning the lettuces, pulling up beets, and even singing to the kale. (Honey says if you listen carefully, you can hear the kale singing back!) Laurel, the little girl who lives next door, likes to help, weeding the rows, washing vegetables under the pump, and gathering speckled eggs from the chicken coop. But one day there is a FOR SALE sign in Honey's front yard. Honey's mother is sick, and she is moving away! What will happen to Honey's garden? And what will Laurel do without her friend? Here is a touching story that beautifully illustrates how friendship—just like a garden—grows. Praise for Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder: "Spare, poetic words sit as lightly as snowflakes." —The Wall Street Journal

    She goes on to explain that even one tree is nice, if it is the only one you happen to have.Some of the reasons why trees are so good to have around are funny. Some are indisputable facts. But in all of them there is a sense of poetic simplicity and beauty which will be sure to entrance any young child. Whether he knows one tree or many, he will relish the descriptions of the delights to be had in, with, or under a tree.Marc Simont's joyous pictures, half of them in full color, accentuate the child-like charm of the words. And each painting of a tree or trees shows just how very nice they can be.

    But when Little Isabelle wants to help too, Brother Abel just laughs. ?What can you do?? he asks. ?I?ll sing and dance to the carrot to make it grow,? she says. ?And come summer, we?ll have little cups of sweet carrot puddin?.? Sure enough, that carrot takes a fancy to Little Isabelle?s singing and dancing and grows to an amazing height?proving that great things can be accomplished when everyone works together.Based on an old Russian folktale, and complete with a scrumptious recipe for carrot puddin?, this wonderfully humorous story shows the strength of teamwork and the power of a touch of imagination.

    In rhyming poetic form and with luminous artwork, this book shows us the marvel of natural cooperation between plants, animals, and insects as they each play their part in the forest's cycle of life.

    He used his unique skills to tell a tale that has had the lasting power of legend: the overwhelming defeat of the seven goblins of the spectrum who sought to take over the colors of the rainbow. Now almost twenty years later, Ul de Rico offers us the complementary tale of the eighth goblin, the white one, banished by his evil brothers to the colorless wastes of the North. There he has suffered in isolation until the day he learns of his brothers' catastrophe and sets out to enjoy the world of color again. He persuades the colorless Cave Goblins to venture out of their safe homes and follow him into the world where they can enjoy and feed themselves on all the colors of nature. Overcome by greed, they set up huge communities and rob the world of all its colors. In the end all sources are exhausted, and Ul de Rico's visionary paintings show us how a handful of Cave Goblins rediscover color's vital importance to life, and return the world to its blissful origins.

    . . but nobody likes being stared at and it soon gets Bear into trouble. The ladybugs find somewhere else to eat, the birds shoo him away, and an annoyed badger bites his nose. Luckily there's a googly-eyed frog to set Bear straight! He teaches Bear to smile and say "Hello" when looking at people, and Bear is able to make lots of friends. But he still likes to stare at his own reflection!