. . There's a big whale in the water and it's not budging! The boy tries everything to get the whale to leave. Nothing seems to work. Not fetch. Not tag. Not even offering his allowance. What's a boy to do? Luckily, he comes up with the perfect solution: he decides to chill out on a spray of water over the whale's spout. This colorful whale of a tale from the talented Joyce Wan is sure to inspire giggles from little guppies!

    Prepare for a laugh-out-loud picture about this little hot dog's quest for freedom. Boldly illustrated by the brilliant Jarvis, winner of Best Illustrated Book at the V&A Illustration Awards 2017, this hilarious, irreverent picture book is told entirely in speech bubbles and demands audience participation - and your undivided attention!

     There are colors to paint with: red, yellow, blue and letters to spell with: A B C and best of all, new friends to play with! Wherever could they be?

    The scenery is breathtaking, the home cooking can't be beat, the Maroon Devils football team is the pride of the town, and you won't find better steelhead fishing anywhere. But the best part is the people you're about to meet in the pages of Bryson City Seasons.In this joyous sequel to his bestselling Bryson City Tales, Dr. Walt Larimore whisks you along on a journey through the seasons of a Bryson City year. On the way, you'll encounter crusty mountain men, warmhearted townspeople, peppery medical personalities, and the hallmarks of a simpler, more wholesome way of life. Culled from the author's experiences as a young doctor settling into rural medical practice, these captivating stories are a celebration of this richly textured miracle called life."The whole book is delightful. My only criticism: there wasn't enough of it!" Margaret Brand, MD, co-laborer with Dr. Paul Brand in leprosy work in India

    For monsters, bedtime looks a little different. They brush their teeth, but not with a toothbrush. They get dressed for bed, but not in slippers and nightcaps. They snuggle, but not with a blankie or a teddy bear. Monsters Go Night-Night takes readers through the bedtime rituals of seven friendly monsters while making each step of the routine a guessing game. Getting ready for bed has never been so much fun!

    Tammie Lyon’s illustrations rendered in gouache and colored pencil add lively appeal to this endearing story of a little girl and her new dog.

    But they can't bite . . . NINJAS! Mosquitoes might be quick, but ninjas are quicker. Mosquitoes might be sneaky, but ninjas are sneakier. And mosquitoes might be hungry, but ninjas are . . . hungrier!With tons of not-very-stealthy appeal, Jordan P. Novak's debut delivers buzzy, wacky, and hilarious story.

    She is fascinated by the stories in her books, and reads wherever she goes—through summer, autumn, winter, and spring. But one day, Lily meets a girl who hates reading. Milly invites Lily to have adventures of her own—outside the pages of a book. Together the two friends help each other discover the joy of both backyards and books—and find on the way that adventures are best with a friend along.

    Like floating down easy street. . . . But wait one guitar-pickin’ minute. That’s a lie! Babies can’t talk, can’t walk, can’t even really chew. It’s enough to make the baby in this story blue, blue, blue. So get ready for a sad tale of soggy diapers, mushy meals, and sleepin’ behind bars that may make you cry, too — but more likely will make you giggle! Jamming with illustrator Lauren Tobia, Carol Diggory Shields gives a tip of the fedora to B.B. King in an ode to babyhood that’ll have readers feeling anything but blue.

    Then again, it's perfectly boring for guinea pigs as extraordinary as John Willy and Freddy McGee! So, of course, when their cage door is left open, these two daring friends take the chance to escape. Out into the world they go, afraid of nothing. That is, until they suddenly hear—while inside the tunnels of a pool table: TAP! wumba BONK! tap-tap wumba BONK! Off they go again—this time back to their cage, but not for long! The wonderful cut paper pictures of Caldecott Honor artist Holly Meade take young children on an adventure they will thoroughly enjoy.

    When Little Bear is frightened by a strange noise, he and the other animals get up to investigate. What they find is a new nocturnal friend--the shining star of this delightful new picture book about a small stuffed owl in need of a rest!

    Jake tries everything to make her go away but Louise is an irresistible force, determined to be as close to her brother as she possibly can.When Jake, in desperation, wishes Louise were a dog, he is suddenly faced with a terrifying possibility. Louise is gone and a little dog seems to be in her place. Can his wish have come true?

    But every time this clever spider tries to impress her chosen family, she scares them instead, until the day she unwittingly enchants them. Aaaarrgghh! Spider! spins a lively tale about one creature’s efforts to find her place.

    She has more important things to worry about, like no money, no job and accusations of murdering her wealthy husband. But when she meets superstar Barry Dennis and he challenges her to a game of seduction, she decides to play ball. When the game turns serious, she unintentionally exposes the legend to be a flawed man. Barry Dennis picked the wrong woman to play games with when he decides to flirt with the enigmatic Roxanne. Being the best takes all he has. He can’t afford to let anything or anyone interfere with his first and only priority--Basketball. But as the attraction between them heats up, he finds himself losing sight of his life’s game plan. While the sports world’s microscope is trained on Barry’s game and the media hounds Roxanne about her husband’s mysterious death, the stakes are ratcheted up even higher when Barry’s young daughter, Lindy is injured. Roxanne gives Lindy the attention she needs while Barry struggles to cope with the demands of his new priorities. Can Roxanne rely on Barry to do more than play ball? She takes the risk and gives him the last thing she owns--her heart.

    "Like Sam, Rice never, never forgets her audience."--School Library Journal.