Round after round, the words whizz at them, but with one minute left until recess, there’s still no winner. Who will triumph? It all comes down to one final word, and a curveball that no one sees coming! Deborah Lee Rose’s clever rhyming text packs a laugh-out-loud wallop with words that young readers will enjoy spelling and reading aloud again and again. Fun and whimsical illustrations by Carey F. Armstrong-Ellis provide the perfect balance of humor and suspense as readers find out whether The Slugger will hit a grand slam or finally strike out. The book includes three spelling lists that can be used for spelling bees at home, in school, at the library, or for community events. An author’s note describes why and how words were chosen. Praise for The Spelling Bee Before Recess "I enjoyed and laughed my way through this epic spelling bee story." --USA Today   "Cute characters, lively rhymes, ample word lists and a good level of dramatic tension bolster the clear message that to succeed, you must understand the meaning of words - not just memorize spellings - and the key to that is reading." --San Francisco Chronicle "Colorful, expressive illustrations support the excitement and anticipation created through the text. This story will fill a need in school libraries for books about spelling, vocabulary, sportsmanship, and school community-building." --School Library Journal "The book’s potentially static topic yields some dynamic, imaginative illustrations, created using ink, gouache, and colored pencils in a quirky style that suits the story’s tone quite well. A lively picture book." --Booklist "Fun-filled illustrations bring this book to life. A vocabulary list at the end of the book emphasizes the importance of learning words and reading. This is a great addition to any library." --Library Media Connection

    The sweet ending depicts all the cool-if not super-activities Dad does do with the child, like throwing a baseball, playing checkers and going toy shopping.Ethan Long's spot-on artwork perfectly accompanies this super funny and super sweet story.Praise for Ethan Long:"A nicely illustrated tale that speaks volumes about the bond between a dad and his son...a great story that will be perfect as a gift for any dad or son." -The New York Journal of Books

    When Gracie decides to go for a walk, the painters, the neighbors, and the garbage man all run after her. She can't figure out why, so she keeps running, causing the whole town to join in the chase. Full-color illustrations.

    Can there ever be a way to live peacefully together?Green Lizards vs. Red Rectangles is an exciting new picture book from Steve Antony, the bestselling author and illustrator of Please, Mr. Panda!The Green Lizards wanted to defeat the Red Rectangles.The Red Rectangles wanted to defeat the Green Lizards.They were at war!Eventually they realized,Enough Is Enough!They stopped fighting, and by working together the Green Lizards and the Red Rectangles found a way to live peacefully.Who will win, the green lizards or the red rectangles? Young readers will understand the value of living in friendship and peace. In the end, it's not about who wins but rather working together and having fun!

    It seemed like a simple enough problem at the beginning, but more and more complications set in—in the forms of a donkey, a sheep, and a cow, to name a few, until it looked as though an entire farm had come to life right there in Peter’s house!But with the proper, if overwhelming, application of true folk wisdom, the trouble was ended. Peter’s house was finally quiet.Or was it?“This is a funny book, a very funny book.”—Publishers Weekly “The too-crowded house of a familiar old tale becomes a too noisy house in this entertaining picture-book story.”—Booklist

    It's a delicious-looking piglet—how lucky!But as Al prepares his feast, the piglet makes some suggestions. Shouldn’t Al have a big birthday cake? Piglet can tell him how to make one. And wouldn’t the celebration be more fun with fancy decorations and party guests? Piglet would be happy to ask some friends to come over.Al is so lucky that Piglet is there to help...or is he? Could Piglet have a clever party trick up his sleeve?Fans of trickster tales, rooting for the underdog, and the proven crowd favorite My Lucky Day will be thrilled to see who turns out to have the luckiest birthday of all.

    It's a dazzling package of language arts, design smarts, humor, and fascinating nonfiction content. It's alpha-mazing!

    Wouldn't it be wonderful to be loved and cuddled, thinks Alexander, and he wishes he could be a wind-up mouse too. In this gentle fable about a real mouse and a mechanical mouse, Leo Lionni explores the magic of friendship. Originally published in 1969, the Caldecott Honor-winning Alexander and the Wind-up Mouse is sure to enchant a whole new generation of readers.

    She likes to read and water her flowers. Hans is very naughty. He makes too much noise and is always causing trouble! When Hans lets the animals out of the zoo, a reward is offered for his capture. Matilda tells the police where he will be, but when they catch Hans and take off his mask, they find something quite surprising!

    . . with a shipwrecked monkey, a sweet-singing ibis, a ferocious tiger, and a band of rough, smelly, no-good pirates! Coconuts fly, danger lurks, and only one clever monkey can save the day: Archie!

    But when he lets the balloon go and it pops, he is inconsolable. Luckily, Posy has a very clever idea to cheer up her friend and soon they are having fun again!

    BUT a balloon floated by and.... He is suddenly off on an unexpected adventure! Before long, Aberdeen follows his whims and fancy to unknown territory, a little too far away from home - and from mama.Who doesn't know the feeling of one thing leading to another leading to another - until you're not quite sure how you ended up where you did? Aberdeen's adorable antics will have readers excited to see where he lands next, and on the edges of their seats as he searches for a way back home.

    First, everyone else gets a piece of cake with a frosting rose. But not Bernice. Then, everyone else gets strawberry-melon soda. Bernice gets the prune-grapefruit juice. And it's warm. The last straw is the one lousy (squished) candy she gets from the piñata. So when the balloons arrive, Bernice knows just what she has to do: grab them all. And then, poor cross Bernice gets carried up, up, and away. Luckily, she figures out just how to make her way back down to the party...and she brightens lots of other animals' days on her way.Hannah Harrison’s gorgeous animal paintings come alive in her second picture book. Her “exceptionally polished” debut, Extraordinary Jane, received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, and  School Library Journal.

    Perhaps they should have taken more notice of what Daisy had to say.Kids will love this funny story about a little girl and her most unlikely new friend.

    Bulldozer wheels around asking his truck friends if they know what day it is, but they each only say it's a work day. They go on scooping, sifting, stirring, filling, and lifting, and little Bulldozer grows more and more glum. But when the whistle blows at the end of the busy day, Bulldozer discovers a construction site surprise, especially for him!