They dig, they plant, they play, they wait . . . and wait . . . until at last, the brown becomes a more hopeful shade of brown, a sign that spring may finally be on its way. Julie Fogliano's tender story of anticipation is brought to life by the distinctive illustrations Erin E. Stead, recipient of the 2011 Caldecott Medal.

    why don't you use it as a can opener? It will make a terrific nutcracker too! There are oodles of uses for a dinosaur -- from a fine umbrella to an excellent kite and a dandy pillow, not to mention a reliable burglar alarm and the perfect excuse to forget your homework. This delightfully absurd exploration of the domestic uses of dinosaurs -- and the things dinos just aren't good for at all -- is guaranteed to tickle funny bones and spark imaginations. If you read carefully, you'll learn how to make your dinosaur last a very long time.

    When a dinosaur bone goes missing from the Bear Museum, it’s up to the Berenstain Bears to help crack the case. From the Mummy Room to the Hall of Famous Bears, the detectives seek every possible hiding place. Can Brother and Sister Bear find the culprit in time for the museum’s grand opening? Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning.

    Playing house, Wendell was the father, the mother, and the children; Sophie was the dog. Playing bakery, Wendell was the baker; Sophie got to be the sweet roll. But when Wendell gave her a new hairdo with shaving cream, it was the last straw, and Sophie made up a game that left Wendell speechless for a time—and won the day for friendship.Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Kitten's First Full Moon, and Chrysanthemum, this classic picture book is "a hilarious read-aloud" (The Bulletin).Whether shared at home or in the classroom, this picture book for ages 3-7 will make kids laugh in recognition.

    Hurrying away to brush his teeth, the pajama-clad bus driver implores readers not to let his feathered friend stay up late. Youngsters are thrust into the role of caregiver as the puerile pigeon attempts to talk his way out of the inevitable, coming up with requests that range from manipulative (I hear there's a good show about birds on TV tonight. Should be very educational) to cajoling (Y'know, we never get to talk anymore. Tell me about your day-¦) to classic (Can I have a glass of water?). Meanwhile, the fowl fights yawns and tries to keep his wide eye open, despite a drooping lid. Defying drowsiness to the last, he finally falls asleep, clutching his stuffed bunny tightly under his wing. Set against comfortably faded pastel backgrounds, the cartoon artwork focuses tightly on the main character, with his comments presented in dialogue balloons. The black-crayon lines speak volumes, as the pigeon's body language and the positioning of his ever-expressive eye humorously convey each nuance of the text. Children will be charmed by this bedtime treat, which will have them laughing out loud at the pigeon-and at themselves.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    BOOMALACKA BOOMALACKA! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!--in paperback! (ages 4-8)What did the dinosaurs do for fun? What really happened when the Jurassic gang wanted to let off some steam? They danced, of course! They rocked and rolled; they twirled and tromped! They had themselves a Dinosaur Stomp! With illustrations by Scott Nash that leap off the page like a raptor doing the fandango, Carol Diggory Shields tells dinosaur devotees all about reptilian revelry with a foot-tapping, tail-whacking beat.

    Because, well, he’s a dinosaur.But when William gets a sore throat, the doctor tells him, “No roaring for a week!”No roaring at the mailman or the bus driver.No roaring in line or at the park.That means absolutely NO roaring at anyone or anything? This can’t be happening!Will this overexcited dinosaur make it through the week without roaring at all?!

    In this toddler-friendly adventure, Chris Gall guides readers on a safari through the wild world of these mechanical monsters of prehistoric times, from the nosy Craneosaurus and the mega-hungry Garbageadon to the big bully of the jungle, Tyrannosaurus Trux! Look out for a fold-out surprise at the end! And when you're done, check out the next books in the Dinotrux series, Revenge of the Dinotrux and Dinotrux Dig the Beach.

    A hungry Curious George snatches a pail of bananas from the zoo keeper. Though he shouldn't have taken the bananas, George soon changes the zookeeper's shouts to praise with his clever, helpful ways.

    Thankfully, the bestselling duo of author Laura Numeroff and illustrator Felicia Bond -- creators of If You Take a Mouse to the Movies and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie -- have teamed up to show us the hijinks a whiskered school guest could cause.Starting with asking for your lunchbox, this critter is set for mischief. The feisty mouse asks for a snack for later (cookies of course), a notebook, and pencils, and wants "to share your backpack, too." After he arrives at school, the pushy classmate tries his hand (make that paw) at math and writing on the blackboard, afterward whipping up a messy, pink science experiment and building a "little mouse house" from blocks. The schooltime antics don't stop there, but a busy mouse tends to get hungry after so much playtime. Naturally his snack is in the lunchbox, which is stored "in a safe place" with his new picture book inside.Following the whimsical style of their previous books, Numeroff and Bond have done it again. Their high-adrenaline mouse will have readers cheering while their eyes comb the illustrations for extra nibbles of fun. Although the book's main human character looks positively exhausted at the end, we can only holler for more of the little guy with the huge school spirit. Matt Warner

    When Bear’s friends discover that he is not at home in his lair, they march out into the cold to find their pal. Friends don’t let friends stay lost! Wren, Owl, and Raven take to the skies while Badger, Mole, and Mouse search on the ground. Pretty soon Bear is found, and once he’s back in his cave, he feels quite safe with his friends all around.

    He discovers that on this day, and this day only, stores everywhere are giving away a very special treat with any purchase. No, not the usual lollipop or sticker. Something bigger. Much, MUCH bigger. It’s a dream come true, except…what exactly do you do with these Jurassic treats? And how do you convince Mom to let you keep them?

    Inside is...a lizard!Leonard soon has a problem, though, and it's bigger than you can imagine. Will Leonard be able to keep his lizard under wraps, or is it becoming too much trouble to handle?

    This deluxe volume features seven new illustrations, an additional adventure, and a song ("The Ballad of Dinosaur Bob"), with easy-to-play arrangements.

    Panda for doughnuts?Patiently and politely, Mr. Panda asks the animals he comes across if they would like a doughnut. A penguin, a skunk, and a whale all say yes, but they do not remember to say "please" and "thank you." Is anyone worthy of Mr. Panda's doughnuts?Steve Antony has captured a cute panda, delightful animals hungry for doughnuts, and a manners lesson. With the black-and-white animals, plain backgrounds, and brightly colored doughnuts, Antony's art is bold, striking, and engaging.