Koala is a little creepy.Adam tries explaining this to his parents. He tries putting Koala away—far away. He tries taking Koala on a long, long walk. Nothing works. Will Adam ever be rid of Koala?This darkly funny debut picture book from Sean Ferrell and Charles Santoso celebrates imagination and bravery while addressing a universal childhood dilemma: what to do about that one stuffed animal who just won’t stop staring at you.

    . .This summer is different because there's a new girl in town. It's different because she's Tanika Bell - occasional bus driver, regular optimist and, it turns out, woman of the world.But expecting life to play by the rules is like making laws for clouds. Kane's whole family has never worked by the rules. His dad ran off years ago, his mother's still chafing and drinking, and she's really bad on her bad days. Summer sets in, hot and humid, and Kane works the road verges. But he's got lofty ambitions, he's got Tanika on his mind and he's going to make this summer count, whatever it takes.Once again Nick Earls is poignant, sharp, very funny and sometimes achingly sad. Making Laws for Clouds gives us the good times, shows us the bad, and - just like Kane - looks to making something hopeful for the future.

    Baabwaa is a sheep who loves to knit. Wooliam is a sheep who loves to read. It sounds a bit boring, but they like it. Then, quite unexpectedly, a third sheep shows up. A funny-looking sheep who wears a tattered wool coat and has long, dreadfully decaying teeth. Wooliam, being well-read, recognizes their new acquaintance: the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing! The wolf is so flattered to discover his literary reputation precedes him that he stops trying to eat Baabwaa and Wooliam. And a discovery by the sheep turns the encounter into an unexpected friendship.

    Free-spirited Frog has another. What happens when Frog crashes into Mouse's story with some wild ideas? Chaos!...followed by the discovery that working together means being willing to compromise—and that listening to one another can lead to the most beautiful stories of all.

    . . A hilarious return by the team that brought us Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise. Our author would like to write a funny story, but his main character Monster has a different idea. He wants to be the star of a chilling, petrifying, utterly terrifying SCARY story. But scary stories . . . well, they can be very scary especially for their characters! Particularly when they involve dark forests and creepy witches and spooky houses . . . Oh yikes and crikes, this is definitely not the scary story Monster had in mind! Maybe he wants to be in a funny story after all!"

    So if a bigger rat takes it ... then cheese belongs to them. Unless ... a quicker rat swipes it! Every rat knows rat law; if you are big or quick, strong or scary, hairy or dirty, or, indeed, all of the above. But just who gets to EAT the cheese? More hilarious and innovative storytelling from the brilliant creative duo behind A Place to Call Home. This cumulative text will have readers zooming through the pages at lightning speed ... and clamouring for repeats!

    They play and snack, and sometimes they even fight, all in a language similar to but slightly different from, English. When Omek decides to borrow Yelfred's new spaceship without asking (and then crashes it), it sparks the biggest fight yet. Can these two best frints make up and move on?Award-winning picture book creator Antoinette Portis delivers a new universe of cleverness and imagination in this hilarious, sweet, and otherworldly book about friendship.

    . . FLASH! CRASH! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!What happens when too many friends start to squish in?That’s when the fun is sure to begin! Even the youngest of readers are invited to count along as each of the family pets seeks refuge from the thunder and lightning in this lively and adorable picture book about bedtime, fears, and friendship.

    Alabasium, Wizard Extraordinaire, rents a room in Mrs. Beggs's boarding house. After the Wizard conjures up a few floating chairs and some inclement weather in the parlor, Mrs. Beggs retaliates with a little witchcraft of her own. Full color.

    Luckily, she encounters a group of undaunted animal swimmers at a local pond, and Ursula and her new team figure out a way to participate in the competition and make sure everyone is welcome at the pool once and for all. Filled with deadpan humor, adorable animals, and big themes about social justice and inclusion, Splashdance is a fun and splashy summer story with a lot of heart.

    The special friendship shared by a mother and daughter shines through this new Daisy tale, as does the fun. Childrens Book of the Month Club selection

    And this time he's got a baby. William Walker loves his gorgeous wife and new son – even if he did faint at the birth. What man wouldn't, after two whole days of labour and only one small sip of (medicinal) whiskey to sustain him? But now he's a father, and a proud one at that. It's just a shame that parenthood doesn't stop him doing the wrong thing at precisely the wrong time, with comically catastrophic results for his small – and increasingly exasperated – family.This hilarious romantic comedy will have you laughing out loud as William battles everything from floods to the Machiavellian denizens of a sinister Kentish village with more than a few hints of Royston Vasey…

    Alex isn't interested - until he decides to make the book something he'd actually like to read. So he takes out his pencil, sharpens his creativity, and totally transforms the story!Birthday Bunny becomes Battle Bunny, and the rabbit's innocent journey through the forest morphs into a supersecret mission to unleash an evil plan - a plan that only Alex can stop.Featuring layered, original artwork that emphasizes Alex's additions, this dynamic exploration of creative storytelling is sure to engage and inspire.

    "Oh-oh," said my little sister.What if you wanted your best friend's two goldfish so much that you'd swap anything for them, even your father?What if your mother came home and found out what you'd done?The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish is a hilarious adventure and was the first book for younger readers from the acclaimed author and illustrator of the New York Times best-sellers The Wolves in the Walls and Coraline. Chosen as one of Newsweek magazine's Best Children's Books of the Year, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish is beloved by readers of all ages. This new edition features brand-new jacket art and an afterword by the author on the origins of this unique and wonderfully funny story.

    Grouped in four progressive levels, Read and Share books - available individually for the first time - are specially selected for qualities that encourage literacy skills and a love of reading.Sixteen top-quality books with notes for extending reading fun inspire the confidence parents and children need to experience the joys of reading . . . together. Plus an informative Parents’ Handbook!What is Read and Share?—An expert selection of sixteen high-quality picture books by superb authors and illustrators, featuring a multicultural array of subjects, including poetry and rhymes, traditional songs, stories, and information books —Four progressive levels - Beginnings, Early Steps, Next Steps, and Taking Off - each including four fabulous picture books—Two full spreads inside each book offering suggestions and activities inspired by the story, designed to help parents and children get the most out of each book - and build a foundation for reading success—A separate 24-page, full-color Parents’ Handbook providing extensive practical information and detailed answers to many of the questions parents ask about encouraging their children’s literacy