If only he could find a good resting place to hide from playful (and wide awake) Kitten!Opposites and hide-and-seek make this a fun story for nap time -- or anytime.

    That's where Lizzie meets an elderly man and his companion, Cecile, a dog about her size.But Lizzie is afraid of dogs, so she'll have to rely on her new friend to help her take things one step at a time.Getting over your fears may seem like a small thing . . . but it sure can feel big.

    Bored. Bored. Bored.Barnacle is stuck on the underside of a pier, wishing he had something to do. Every day is exactly the same. The tide comes in and Barnacle gets wet. The tide goes out and Barnacle dries off. Boring! Barnacle wants something EXCITING to happen. Then a colorful fish swims by. Barnacle bets the fish doesn't have a boring life. In the end, it turns out exciting isn't always better. . . This picture book is an irreverent and playful answer to any child's declaration of boredom!

    But then she overhears passersby talking about something that gives her hope-something called a Friend Ship! Hedgehog imagines a ship filled with friends of all kinds, and soon she's ready to hit the open seas in a boat of her own to track it down. Along the way, she meets other lonely animals eager to join her quest.They search north. They search south. They search east. But Hedgehog and her new friends can't find the Ship anywhere! Until she realizes she knows just where the Friend Ship is. . . This heartwarming tale by Kat Yeh, with charming illustrations by Chuck Groenink, proves that sometimes, what you're searching for is right in front of you.

    Zebra wants to put on a show as simple as A-B-C, but Zebra's friend Moose has other (unexpected and hilarious) ideas. Full color.

    Now she guides children on the first steps to reading with three sweet, funny stories about a stuffed bear and a frisky dachshund who happen to be best friends. Simple, engaging texts and bright, colorful pictures make this a perfect book for emergent readers to read by themselves or to share with friends. And in Dog and Bear, readers will discover two chaming characters, ready to take their place on the shelves next to Henry and Mudge, Frog and Toad, and George and Martha.Dog and Bear: Two Friends, Three Stories is the winner of the 2007 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award for Picture Books. This title has Common Core connections.

     When a young girl brings her beloved stuffed fox to the playground, much to her astonishment, a real fox takes off with it! The girl chases the fox into the woods with her friend, the boy, following close behind, but soon the two children lose track of the fox. Wandering deeper and deeper into the forest, they come across a tall hedge with an archway. What do they find on the other side? A marvelous village of miniature stone cottages, tiny treehouses, and, most extraordinary of all, woodland creatures of every shape and size. But where is the little fox? And how will they find him?

    But Egg is not taking a bath. Not in the river, not in the duck pond, and definitely not in the dog's water bowl--too slobbery! Does Peep have any tricks up her feathers to help a chick change her mind? Laura Gehl and Joyce Wan are back with another fun, colorful story that takes the not out of I'm not taking a bath!

    How could he possibly have fun when he is soaked? But Badger, Rabbit, and Moose don't seem to mind. In fact, Moose can still hula hoop! And it looks like so much fun. Might Bear like to try?Here is a story that shows that fun is not dependent on sunshine and blue skies. In fact, it might be more fun to be soaked!

    He's not horrible! But now he's upset, too--upset enough to come up with a truly Horrible Bear idea. In this charming but goofy picture book, readers will learn all about tempers, forgiveness, and friendship as Bear prepares to live up to his formerly undeserved reputation while the little girl realizes that maybe--just maybe--Bear isn't as horrible as she thought.

    "Hello, Penguin!" he says. "What shall we play?" But Penguin says nothing. Even when Ben tickles its belly, sings a funny song, does a dizzy dance, stands on his head, sticks out his tongue, and resorts to increasingly rude and drastic measures, Penguin makes no response. What will it take for Penguin to say something — or for Ben to understand what Penguin has to say? Fresh, spare illustrations bring whimsy to this wonderful tale, in which a silent Penguin turns marvelously eloquent and a little boy finally gets his heart’s desire.

    He climbs into a boat, hides in a tackle box, gets thrown to shore, scuttles to a restaurant, plunges into a water pitcher, escapes from a greedy chef, hides among some melons, gets chased back to the ocean, narrowly avoids being made into Octopus Soup, and finally swims home to his mom’s loving tentacles. With graphic, digital artwork, Mercer Mayer takes you on a wordless journey you’ll never forget!

    He collects fine art and jewelry, practices his golf swing, and devours a tasty snack along the way. But just when he thinks he’s in the clear to leave with all the goods, the owners of the house—a mama bear, papa bear, and baby bear—come home. They chase him through the house, and when the mama bear catches him, she promptly throws him out. But she throws him so far that he ends up in a much nicer neighborhood—in front of a mansion, in fact—where he can begin his mischievous adventure again!

    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.

    Witches. Trolls. Sharks. The DARK!But nothing seems as scary once you turn on the light. In this hilarious picture book, a boy and his two dogs go through a list of all the things, both real and imagined, that make the hair on the backs of their necks stand on end—and come up with a clever way to face their fears.