"Mmm," she says. "I'm going to gobble that up!" So she shakes the tree a little to the right, and she shakes the tree a little to the left. But it isn't the nut that falls from the tree, it's Fox, who thinks that Mouse looks pretty tasty! Soon a warthog and then a bear come along with similar ideas. Little readers will enjoy the just-made-it escapes (and be happy to get in on the shaking action), only to laugh out loud when their expectations are foiled at the end.

    Right away, a dragon moves in. The boy decides to befriend his dragon and they spend time roaming the shore, flying a kite, braving the waves, defying bullies, and roasting marshmallows—all while Dad is busy sunbathing and Mom is engrossed in her book. Unfortunately, no one believes the boy when he tries to share the news of this magnificent creature. That’s when the mischief begins, and the dragon becomes a force to be reckoned with. While adults will recognize the naughty antics as a ploy for attention, children will dissolve into giggles as the dragon devours every last sandwich, blows bubbles in the lemonade, and leaves claw prints in the brownies. Maybe the dragon really is running amok on the beach, or maybe it’s a little boy’s imagination that is running wild.

    Now Duck is back and turning the farm upside down! Flushed with the success of his trailblazing bike ride around the farm, Duck decides he's ready to drive the tractor. As in the bestselling Duck on a Bike, all the barnyard animals share their humorous comments as they watch Duck do the unthinkable. Then, one by one, they join him on the tractor for a ride! But what happens when Duck drives the big red tractor through town, past the popular diner where all the locals are having lunch? What will those folks really think when they see Duck and all the other animals riding around on Farmer O'Dell's tractor? Filled with entertaining detail and sly jokes, readers will pore over each picture again and again. Perfect for reading aloud!

    When the other animals ask him to play, he responds in the way he's been taught:Chicken! Slow poke! You stink! Laura Vaccaro Seeger's bold, graphic artwork, along with her spare but powerful words, make for a tender, hilarious, and thoughtful tale.A Neal Porter Book

    Yes, a dandy whoop-de-do!But Xander was the only panda. Just one panda at the zoo.The zoo’s paucity of pandas doesn’t impede Xander’s party planning for long. He decides to invite all the bears. But Koala protests. She’s not a bear—she's a marsupial! Does that mean she can’t come? Xander rethinks his decision to invite only bears, and “Calling all bears” evolves into “Calling all creatures.” The Newbery Medal author Linda Sue Park introduces animal taxonomy in a wonderfully engaging way, and the celebrated artist Matt Phelan’s charming ink and watercolor paintings are the icing on the cake. A read-aloud whoop-de-do!

    until, at last, he falls asleep.

    And her Brave Cowboy and his silly, interrupted lullaby are sure to get everybody singing—before they head off into cozy dreamland…

    There is no shortage of so-called princesses, but how can he tell whether or not they are what they claim to be? Then one night, a great storm rages, there's a knock on the palace gate, and the prince's life is never the same. Caldecott Honors-winning artist Rachel Isadora exquisitely illustrates this retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale and takes readers to a beautiful African setting--a first for the ?true story? of a tiny pea that changed everything.

    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.

    Zoey isn't like the other chickens.When she has a dream, she always finds a way to make it come true.Climb aboard the spaceship with Zoey and her best pig, Sam, as they set off on an out-of-this-world adventure! Because anything is possible when you have friends, snacks and a great imagination.

    Fish swims aboutWith his fish face stuckIn a permanent pout.Can his pals cheer him up?Will his pout ever end?Is there something he can learnFrom an unexpected friend?Swim along with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that being glum and spreading "dreary wearies" isn't really his destiny. Bright ocean colors and playful rhyme come together in this fun fish story that's sure to turn even the poutiest of frowns upside down.The Pout-Pout Fish is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

      There are seven steps to becoming a proper lion, including Looking Fierce, Roaring, Prowling Around, and Pouncing. Our young hero, a rather meek and scrawny human boy, does his best to learn the necessary skills during his training with a master instructor (who just happens to be a real lion). After a grueling set of lessons, the boy discovers that that the final step—Looking Out for Your Friends—is the most important of all. That’s how any kid can earn his lion diploma (not to mention the affection of every cat in town).

    He whips up egg whites . . . Easy. He adds a cup of milk . . . Peasy. The he sprinkles in just a pinch of . . . of finch?! That's not right at all! Neither are the smidgeons of pigeons or the spoonsfull of loons. Clearly a chase is in order! Yet all that leads to is a spectacularly messy kitchen. And no cake.

    Cookies are for eating, and he can't wait to eat his after spending all morning baking them with his class. But when it's time to take the gingerbread men out of the oven . . . they're gone! Now, to find those rogue cookies, Marshall and his class have to solve a series of rhyming clues. And Marshall just might have to rethink his stance on magic. Catch That Cookie! is an imaginative mystery, deliciously illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner David Small. It's sure to inspire a new classroom tradition . . . and maybe even a few new believers!

    . . something delicious! A comical ode to individuality from a new talent.Milly Moo wants only one thing: to churn out the finest, tastiest, creamiest milk around. But there's just one problem. She's always too hot! While all the other cows snicker and bask in the sun, Milly Moo's milk bucket keeps coming up empty. Nada! Zilch! Just when she's sure that the farmer will banish her, Milly Moo wakes to a freezing cold morning. It's her last chance! Will the icy temperature help her make the special milk product she dreams of? With slyly humorous illustrations and a fun final twist, this treat from Fiona Ross will have children begging for second helpings.