Stella discovers that her new glasses are magic, allowing her to see the knit-knotters--night sprites that are flitting around town tyeing knots in children's hair so they need haircuts--and when a conversation with one of them, Trixie, reveals the reason, Stella comes up with a plan to deal with the mischievous fairies.

    Yet theirs is a world of intrepid hunter-explorers, eccentric naturalists, and gifted museum artisans, all devoted to the paradoxical pursuit of creating the illusion of life.Into this subculture of insanely passionate animal lovers ventures journalist Melissa Milgrom, whose journey stretches from the anachronistic family workshop of the last chief taxidermist for the American Museum of Natural History to the studio where an English sculptor, granddaughter of a surrealist artist, preserves the animals for Damien Hirst's most disturbing artworks. She wanders through Mr. Potter's Museum of Curiosities in the final days of its existence to watch dealers vie for preserved Victorian oddities, and visits the Smithsonian's offsite lab, where taxidermists transform zoo skins into vivacious beasts. She tags along with a Canadian bear trapper and former Roy Orbison impersonator--the three-time World Taxidermy Champion--as he resurrects an extinct Irish elk using DNA studies and Paleolithic cave art for reference; she even ultimately picks up a scalpel and stuffs her own squirrel. Transformed from a curious onlooker to an empathetic participant, Milgrom takes us deep into the world of taxidermy and reveals its uncanny appeal.

    But then they're off again...Kids will love the story and the funny illustrations by Jon Buller. Parents and other educators will love how the story and pictures make understanding comparisons a breeze—as well as the concrete examples of how math works! The book contains activities for adults to do with kids to extend math into their own lives! Math = Fun!MathStart is an award-winning series by Stuart J. Murphy that teaches math through stories and visual models. Young readers find the stories engaging and relatable, because each story revolves around practical applications of the math concept being presented and features lively art from top-notch illustrators.Charts and other visual representations help children understand how the math works and promote deeper comprehension. This unique combination of stories, illustrations, and visual models helps teachers and parents in the teaching of math and provides all children with the opportunity to succeed.The 63-book series is divided into three levels with 21 books in each. The math concepts taught in MathStart books conform to state and national standards. Level 1 is Pre-K–Kindergarten; Level 2 is Grades 1–3; Level 3 is Grades 2–4. The series follows math topics across grades so there is a foundational path to learning that runs through the levels.

    Queen Sophie is bored silly and sets out to become her kingdom's Hairdresser Extraordinaire. Full color.

    (Ages 2-5)It's a rainy day, and the Patterson puppies have run out of things to do. If only it were sunny and warm, they could go to the beach! But then Petra gets an idea. Indoor beach party! Buckets! A blue-carpet ocean! The surfing and undersea diving are a blast, until . . . mom and dad appear on the shore. Uh-oh! Will a mop-brigade party be as much fun? Rambunctious pups are sure to relate to this cautionary tale -- and be eager to dive right in.

    Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. For children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help.

    In 1856, when Louis Pasteur first began studying microbes in rotten sugarbeet juice, he put into motion a chain of events that saved France's wine industry, and revolutionized medicine and biology.

    NB: Also available online as an e-book.

    Fuzz is a tall possum who also likes to collect shiny stones. Fuzz tries to collect a “stone” from a duck’s nest and, in turn, the mama duck tries to collect him. Will Cork be able to save his friend? An Easy-to-Read series that critics compare to “the measured dialogue and sweet illogic of Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad,”** Cork and Fuzz collect fans with each new adventure.

    Easy to read and beautifully illustrated, it includes Heracles' mighty tasks, Pandora's box, King Midas's golden touch, and more!

    As soon as her mother leaves to go shopping, Amelia Bedelia gets to work on a huge, multicolored sidewalk chalk mural. She enlists her friends and neighbors to help do chalk drawings on her sidewalk, front walk, driveway, fence, and even on the trees and sides of their house. Chalk one up for Amelia Bedelia in this Level 1 I Can Read about teamwork and creativity. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.

    This collection brings together all six of the Madeline books in one volume. Every well-loved word and picture is here, plus an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anna Quindlen, an essay by Ludwig Bemelmans on how he created Madeline, and working sketches of Madeline, as well as photos of the Bemelmans family. This landmark volume will be treasured by the entire family.

    Traditional children's poems are presented alongside contemporary pieces, and the collection is capped off with tributes by Eric Carle and Steven Kellogg, two of Bill Martin Jr's best-known collaborators. This essential compilation also features original illustrations by award-winning artists, including Ashley Bryan, Lois Ehlert, Steven Kellogg, Chris Raschka, Dan Yaccarino, Nancy Tafuri, and Derek Anderson. This beautiful anthology is sure to become a classic.

    He never signed his name any other way, but popular culture transformed his memory into "Davy Crockett," and Hollywood gave him a raccoon hat he hardly ever wore. Best-selling historian Michael Wallis casts a fresh look at the frontiersman, storyteller, and politician behind these legendary stories. Born into a humble Tennessee family in 1786, Crockett never "killed him a b'ar" when he was only three. But he did cut a huge swath across early-nineteenth-century America—as a bear hunter, a frontier explorer, a soldier serving under Andrew Jackson, an unlikely congressman, and, finally, a martyr in his now-controversial death at the Alamo. Wallis's David Crockett is more than a riveting story. It is a revelatory, authoritative biography that separates fact from fiction, providing us with an extraordinary evocation of a true American hero and the rough-and-tumble times in which he lived.

    Luckily, it's Nancy's mom to the rescue! When she brings home a brand-new set of glitter markers, Nancy puts her trademark flair to très creative use and devotes herself to becoming a serious artist (or artiste, as the French say). After all, everything about being an artist is fancy, fancy, fancy—especially when inspiration strikes!Complete with instructions on how to create your own artistic masterpieces, Fancy Nancy: Aspiring Artist will get your creative juices flowing and your fancy in full swing.